Souls of Courage
by TwilightNerd
Summary: Lord Voldemort takes a sudden interest in Harry's friends, and Hermione agrees to do whatever is needed in order to ensure his safety. Snape must give her Occlumency lessons, and is later responsible for her safety.
1. It Starts

**This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction! I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>Hermione was floating. She was floating above a large house that seemed run down. Hardly expecting anyone to be living there, she was surprised to see a small flicker of light in one of the windows. The next image that flashed in Hermione's mind was a dimly lit room. There were a dozen or so people standing around an old arm chair that was facing towards the fire place. Not a single soul was making a sound, some even seeming as if they had stopped breathing.<p>

"My Lord." a woman's voice came from the closest cloaked figure.

She moved and kneeled beside the chair, bowing her head deeply.

"Please, let us kill the boy for you." she hissed, letting the sick sound of desire leak into her voice.

"No, Bellatrix, the boy is mine." a cold voice rasped causing the woman to flinch.

Hermione suddenly recognized the shallow face of Bellatrix Lestrange under the hooded cloak.

"You cannot risk it, my Lord."

"Silence!"

Some of the cloaked figures took small steps back and the woman scurried backward, still on the ground.

"Perhaps, I can make a suggestion, my Lord?"

"Yes, Lucius, let me hear what you have to say. Perhaps this can make up for your abominable performance at the Ministry."

A slender hand came from the cloak and pulled back the hood allowing long blonde hair to come pouring over the man's shoulders. He slowly approached the chair and also fell to his knees, keeping his eyes turned away.

"Perhaps, instead of trying to reach the boy, we take a more...subtle route."

"I'm listening." the cold voice said, though it sounded as if it was bored at what the man had to say.

"Potter is nearly untouchable with Dumbledore around; why not…go for someone else?"

"Continue."

"What of Potter's friends?"

"What about them?"

"We can use their knowledge of the boy to find where the weakness in the Order lies. Through them we can find a way to extract the boy so you can finally put an end to him."

The room fell silent as everyone waited with baited breath to see what the Dark Lord's reaction would be to the proposition.

"Lucius, you know as well as I do that I have tried to break into their minds, but to little avail. I can see some things, more from the Weasley boy than the Mudblood, but it is difficult due to the distance."

"We can attack them when they least expect it." another man suggested feeling confident that the Dark Lord did not berate Lucius.

"Avery, did you not listen to a word I just said?" the cold voice said calmly, only enhancing the deadliness in the words.

"But my Lord," the man stammered on trying to make amends. "We can get them when they leave Hogwarts and then-"

"Then what? Those two insolent children will be with Potter, and who will Potter have? The entire Order including the old man! We cannot risk ourselves, you fool!"

Before the man had a chance to correct himself again, a green burst of light flashed across the room and the man hit the ground in a heap.

Hermione jolted up in bed breathing heavily and covered in a thin layer of sweat. She had never had a dream like that before. Her mind flickered to Harry, who was sleeping in the next dormitory. Could it be possible that Voldemort had access to her mind, as well as Ron's? For a moment she let her logic take over, running through her thoughts quickly, and came to the conclusion that the probability of Lord Voldemort breaking into their minds was slim to none. Still, she thought as she lowered herself back down onto the bed, the dream was unnerving.

By the next morning she had all but forgotten the dream, instead focusing on the Transfiguration test that she had that morning. Walking down to breakfast alone she muttered the incantations to herself, making the wand movements in her head. Once she was seated and had filled her plate, she propped open her book on the pumpkin juice jug and began reviewing.

"Morning, Hermione." Ron grumbled sitting beside her.

"Good morning, where's Harry?" Hermione asked, seeing Ron alone.

"Still sleeping; had a rough night."

"What do you mean?"

Ron suddenly avoided her eyes and instead focused on filling his mouth with bacon. Hermione studied his face for a few more seconds before it dawned on her.

"He's still having those dreams, isn't he?"

"I didn't say that." Ron said choking on some bacon.

"I thought he said they stopped?"

"They did! Now stop talking about it."

"Ron, I think I'd know if something was wrong with my best friend."

Sure enough, when Harry walked into the Great Hall, large bags could be seen under his eyes and he even made a move to rub his scar before quickly stopping himself. He sat down without a word and began picking at his eggs. Hermione desperately wanted to ask him about it, but all he did nowadays was snap at her. She knew that he had stopped going to his Occlumency lessons, but he had told her that the dreams had stopped.

Hermione snapped her book shut and rubbed her temples slowly. Most of the school was eating now, and the babble of voices was making it hard for her to think. Harry was in danger, now more than ever. He never closed off the connection to Voldemort; no doubt he purposely kept it opened so he could feel like he was a part of something. Regardless, that put everyone around him in danger.

Her thoughts were cut off as the post arrived. Owls swopped in from all directions and the tables were suddenly littered with parchment and papers. Hermione received a copy of the Daily Prophet every day, but stopped reading it. They had stopped slandering both Harry and Dumbledore, and that Skeeter woman wouldn't be writing anything any time soon. But as she slipped the Knut into the owl's leather pouch, a picture caught her attention. She didn't know where she'd seen it before, but she somehow recognized the man's face. Turning the paper over to see the headline, Hermione felt her world come to a screeching halt.

**AVERY, KNOWN DEATH EATER, FOUND DEAD**

"Hermione?" Ron asked looking at the paper.

She didn't say anything, but held out the paper for the two boys to read. As they skimmed the article, something suddenly occurred to her.

"Harry?" she asked quietly.

He raised his piercing green eyes to her face.

"Have you ever-I don't mean to pry but-have you ever had a-a dream about him?"

His face went cold and impassive, and something flashed in his eyes that made Hermione's blood run cold, though she didn't know why.

"I don't have those dreams anymore."

"I know, but did you ever have-"

"No!" he bellowed before jumping to his feet and storming out of the Great Hall.

"I told you not to push it." Ron whispered to her as if everyone was listening.

She huffed and pulled the paper back toward her. She skimmed the article quickly, muttering parts of the sentences out loud.

"…_prosecuted once before when accused of being a Death Eater…"_

"…_claimed to be under the Imperius curse to escape conviction…"_

"…_whereabouts were unknown…"_

"…_found in an abandoned house…seemingly died from natural causes…further medical evaluation is to occur on Tuesday…"_

The paper slipped from Hermione's hand and her heart seemed to be beating oddly fast. Deep down in her gut, Hermione knew something was wrong. Ron was buried in his food and didn't see her pale face. As if someone electrocuted her seat, Hermione jumped up and scooped up all of her belongings before stuffing them into her bag. The sudden movement caught Ron's eye and he looked up.

"Where are you rushing off to?"

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore." she hissed trying to make everything fit back into her bag.

"Everything alright?"

"I don't know." she snapped before snatching the paper and running from the room.

Only when she reached the stone gargoyle did Hermione realize that she had no idea what the password was.

"Oh, no." she moaned to herself feeling the level of panic rise until she was sure she would scream.

For almost twenty minutes she stood there, her bushy hair worse than usual due to the fact she kept running her hands through it giving frustrated sighs. The nearest classroom was a while away and she recalled that Professor Dumbledore was not present in the Great Hall during breakfast. Finally, Professor Flitwick came by, noticing her distressed look.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here?" he asked looking up at his brightest student.

"Professor Flitwick, I need to speak to the Headmaster right away, it's extremely important." she said realizing she still had the newspaper clutched in her hand and things were still hanging haphazardly out of her bag.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, no, I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore." she said becoming frustrated.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry, but I can't just let you up to see the Headmaster, he's very busy and-"

"Please, sir! It's about Harry, I need to tell him something about Harry, and it can't wait!" she cried on the verge of tears.

This seemed to strike a chord with him because his face suddenly became drawn and pale. She could see in his eyes that he did not doubt her for a second.

"Very well." he said walking towards the gargoyle. "Fudge Fly."

The stone came alive and she instantly darted for the stairs.

"Thank you, professor!" she cried before she lost sight of him.

The minute she reached the door, she banged on it. No answer. Instead of waiting, she shoved open the door and walked in.

"Professor, I need to-"

But there was no one there.

"Hello?" she called.

All of the portraits looked down at her as if she was an intruder. Some began mumbling under their breath. Hermione looked around the room, noticing all of the little trinkets that lay around. Many books lined the walls and a squawk in the corner made her jump with fright. It was a Phoenix! She approached slowly, not being able to take her eyes off of the bright red feathers. But before she could touch the bird, it suddenly took flight and went soaring through an open window. She felt foolish, standing alone in this room. After a few more minutes, the blind panic that rose in her during breakfast began to ebb away slightly and she was thinking about leaving when the fireplace emitted a bright green flame. Hermione jumped, the panic came rushing back, and she suddenly couldn't stop her shaking hands. Professor Dumbledore unfolded himself from the fireplace and with a flick of his wand vanished the large amount of ash that covered the floor and his robes before looking up at her.

"A little birdie told me there was a young girl standing in my office looking rather disheveled." he said giving her a warm smile just as the Phoenix came soaring back through the window and resumed its perch.

Dumbledore waved his wand and two cups and a kettle of tea appeared on his desk as she tried to smooth down her hair.

"Tea, Miss Granger?"

"No, no thank you, sir." she said through the lump in her throat.

"Well, I can see there is clearly something bothering you, so please, proceed."

Hermione opened her mouth and then closed it again. How on Earth was she going to say what she had to say without sounding completely crazy? It could have been a coincidence that Avery died the same night that she, herself, has seen a man killed in her dream. But a small voice in the back of her head told her that she knew that wasn't true. Dumbledore continued his careful gazing, but she had a feeling he was likely browsing her mind, so to quickly put a stop to it, she walked over to his desk and stuck out her hand, holding out the newspaper that was still clutched in her fingers. Without questioning her, he took the paper and smoothed it out on his desk.

"Ah, I see you are one of the few people who still read the Daily Prophet." he said raising his blue eyes back to her face.

"Sir," she began before swallowing. "Did you read what-"

"Yes, Miss Granger, I read the article and talked with the Minister of Magic this morning. I am well aware of what happened that night."

He seemed to look at her with eyes that said 'Is this all you wanted to tell me?'

"Sir, I-I…"

She stopped speaking, and he allowed her a few moments to gather herself up, but as she was about to speak again, the fireplace lit up with green flames once more, and Severus Snape stepped into the room. He pulled out his wand to rid himself of dust when his eyes suddenly landed on the scene in front of him. The Headmaster was calmly sitting at his desk, and Miss Granger was standing erect and tense with her face pale and her hands balled into fists.

"Come in Severus, take a seat."

But the man did not move from his spot.

"I'm sorry Professor, I didn't know that you had another appointment, I should have thought about that before I-"

"Miss Granger," he said gently cutting her off. "Is there something that you wish to tell me?"

Hermione felt herself cracking. She could feel her panic clawing its way to the surface of her mind. Her face contorted.

"I-I…well, sir, I-I saw it happen." she said noticing how ridiculous she sounded.

"You mean to say you saw this," he motioned towards the paper. "Happen?"

She nodded, afraid of what she would sound like if she talked. Hermione refused to meet the eyes that were so closely studying her from across the desk and she was suddenly very aware of Professor Snape's eyes on her also.

"How?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

The question hung in the air for a moment before Hermione's bag slid from her shoulder and crashed to the floor.

"I-I…" she sunk into a nearby chair and buried her face in her hands. "I dreamt it." she muttered with her face in her hands.

The room remained silent and Hermione was so embarrassed about her admission, but she didn't know _why_ she was. Maybe because the Dark Lord could get to Harry easier now that he had found a way into her mind. She also felt weak and helpless, ashamed at herself for being such an easy target. It hadn't taken him long to get into her mind, and it wouldn't take very long before he took full advantage of that. Hermione was nearly sick as she thought how much danger she was putting Harry in. When she didn't hear a sound, she looked up and saw Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape staring intently at one another. It was almost like Professor Dumbledore and Snape were reading each other's thoughts. Finally, Dumbledore turned his eyes back to her.

"Are you sure, Miss Granger, that you saw this?"

"Yes." she said.

"How are you so certain?"

"Well-I-I just know!" she cried jumping to her feet as she began pacing the floor.

Pacing always helped her thought process and kept it moving. She recalled the images of that night clearly, and the words began pouring out before she could stop herself.

"I was floating above an old house, sort of looking down at it. It looked deserted, but there was a light in one of the windows. The next thing I knew, I was standing in a dark room. There were people standing around in dark cloaks. Death Eaters, I've seen them before at the World Cup, and then…" but she suddenly trailed off.

Something had just occurred to her. She whirled around and looked at Professor Snape. His face remained hard and impassive as he looked at her, but his dark eyes flashed for a moment.

"You were there, weren't you?" she immediately blurted out.

He didn't say anything. For a moment he stared at her as if she was invisible before turning his eyes to the Headmaster. The Headmaster was looking at her curiously before looking back at Snape. She swore that he had given Snape the slightest nod. Hermione's eyes snapped back to Professor Snape who had pulled his eyes from Dumbledore and settled them back on her. For a split second, their eyes met, Snape's lips moved, and she felt an intense pressure in her head. She had heard enough from Harry to know what this meant.

"No!" she yelled as the image of the house flashed through her mind, causing her to instantly turn her back and close her eyes.

Immediately the pressure was gone. The only thing that could be heard in the room was her heavy breathing. Hermione kept her back turned and her fists clenched at her side. She was thankful she had gotten him out before he had grabbed hold of the memory.

"Hermione, we need to see if what you saw is real." Professor Dumbledore said.

"I don't want him in my head," she said instantly. "I know he was there, in that house."

"How?" Professor Snape suddenly asked.

She whirled around, looked into his eyes for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

"I-I remember…" she pushed herself to try to remember what she had seen. "I remember your hair." she said forcing the memory forward.

She hadn't realized that she had seen his hair until she looked at him this morning, and it suddenly clicked.

"You were standing in the back, on the left side of the room. I couldn't see your face, just your hair. Your head was bent down. You were standing a little ways behind Lucius Malfoy."

She heard his quick intake of air and looked into his face. Hermione knew that she had him. He was staring at her again, and she braced herself for another invasion.

"Calm down you foolish girl, I'm not going to look again." he snapped clearly agitated before crossing his arms across his chest.

The two were still staring at each other, and Snape seemed to be regarding her thoughtfully.

"How long did you watch in your dream?" he asked.

"Maybe two minutes."

"Then tell me, what did the scene look like?" Snape asked, testing her.

"There was a single chair by the fire place, and there were a dozen or so people standing around it. They were all wearing black cloaks and most had their faces hidden. Then a woman stepped forward."

She stopped as she saw his jaw clench tightly. Keeping her eyes on Snape, she pushed through again.

"She suggested that the Death Eaters kill Harry, not V-Voldemort." she stumbled over the name and saw Snape flinch.

"There was a man after that." Snape prompted.

"Yes, Lucius Malfoy."

"What did he say?" he tested her.

"He said that he should attack Ron and me, use us to find a weakness in the Order's protection of Harry and see when the best time would be to take him." she said meeting his eyes evenly.

"And what of Avery?"

"He said when we leave, to attack Harry so he's away from Professor Dumbledore. Voldemort became angry." she noticed that Snape flinched again. "He began yelling and then he-he…"

"We understand." Dumbledore said. "Severus?"

"It seems as if the Dark Lord has indeed breached her mind. That was exactly what happened when Avery was killed."

Hermione looked between the two trying to find something, anything that would give her an answer.

"Perhaps Occlumency lesson will need to start? Miss Granger, would you be willing to attempt the lessons?"

"Yes." she immediately said, desperate to find protection for herself and those around her.

She saw Professor Snape's mouth turn down at the corners. Hermione was sure he was recalling the last time that he had tried to teach a student.

"And Mr. Weasley, I think, should also attend these lessons."

Snape looked furious at this point. He was glaring at Professor Dumbledore.

"Severus, you cannot think that after what you have told me, and what Miss Granger has informed us of, I would allow them to continue seeing these things." he said softly.

"The Weasley boy? He'll be just like Potter! At least with this one there's a small chance she'll pick up something, and even that's slim! I've said before, they are too young to be learning such things! They do not have discipline!"

"If I recall, you were this age when you learned." Dumbledore said with a barely suppressed smile.

A noise of dissatisfaction came from Snape, but he said no more. Dumbledore turned back to Hermione and looked at her over his glasses.

"Have there been more dreams like this?" he asked.

"Well, no, not exactly. More like flashes. I see things, but then I can't remember them. I try to, but they slip away too quickly. I don't know if Ron has been seeing things."

"I have no doubt that he has."

The three fell silent and Hermione could feel her fear slowly growing. Dumbledore pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled for a few seconds.

"Miss Granger, gather up Mr. Weasley and report to Professor Snape's classroom immediately. I'm afraid that these lessons cannot wait."

She approached the desk and took the piece of paper before grabbing her bag off the ground and leaving the office. Hermione stumbled down the stairs and into a hallway full of students who were off to their first lessons of the day. Everything suddenly seemed miniscule to her as she watched the students bustle around, completely unaware. They were now up against something larger than any of them had ever imagined.

* * *

><p>When Miss Granger had left the room, Severus allowed his shoulders to slump. Not only was he going to be stuck with the insufferable know it all, but now he'd be stuck with her stupid friend! As if Potter wasn't bad enough!<p>

Severus knew that Potter would still be having his dreams; there was no doubt of that. He didn't know how to control himself or his emotions. Potter obviously did not have the skill needed; some people never mastered Occlumency. Severus realized, with a flash of anger, that this man in front of him knew him more than he liked, having access to all of his memories when they were practicing Occlumency. Severus enjoyed his solitude, his dark chambers, and his laboratory, dust and all. He didn't like people prodding around in his head, but that was the only way that Dumbledore could teach him. Dumbledore had seen all of his memories.

From how Miss Granger reacted when she felt his presence in her head had told him that Potter did talk about their lessons. If he breathed a word of what he saw in Snape's head to another soul, he would strangle him. But Lily. The minute she made her way into his head, he closed her behind a door. He wouldn't think of her now. He turned towards Dumbledore who looked as if he had aged considerably over the past few minutes. He was staring at the picture of Avery who was screaming on the front of the Daily Prophet, being restrained by a handful of Ministry workers. Severus looked away as his memories came flooding back to him. A flash of green. A body on the floor. No one making a sound.

"Severus, return in the evening. For now, I want both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to learn how to protect themselves." he said without raising his eyes from the paper.

"What about the Pensive?"

"I'm sorry; I can't allow you to take it this time. I need to use it to show Harry some essential memories."

Severus reeled. Go through Occlumency and _not_ have a Pensive? He couldn't do that! Just look at what happened with Potter! The brat had rooted through all of the most painful memories of his childhood.

"I suggest you return to your classroom before Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley arrive."

Without another word, Severus stepped into the flames and went immediately back to his classroom. He had finally gotten the position he had been after for years now: Defense Against the Dark Arts. The only downfall to this was that his personal lab was now farther away, still in the bowls of the school. Even now that Slughorn was back, Severus was still being asked to brew things for the Hospital Wing.

_Slughorn_. Severus sneered to himself as he took a spot at his desk, looking out across the empty room. That man didn't know half of what _he_ knew. He liked flashy parties and dinners -that's the only reason he came back. Slughorn needed more people to have under his belt so he could receive free tickets and other goodies that came with successful people. Severus cleared off his desk and threw the essays he had been grading into a drawer. As the years went on, the writing became increasingly worse.

Severus rested his elbows on the desktop, clasped his hands together, and peered over them at the door, waiting for it to open. Perhaps he'd start on Weasley first. His head would be easy to go through. Granger suddenly popped into his head. Now _her_ head was something he was minutely curious about seeing. He could already see her crying when he riffled through all of her personal memories. The door suddenly opened and Miss Granger came walking in with Weasley in tow. They both approached the desk and stood in front of him. He still had not moved.

"Do you know why you are here?" Severus snapped, his bitterness seeping into every word.

"Yes, sir." the girl immediately answered.

His eyes snapped to Weasley who nodded quickly looking pale. Severus couldn't help the smirk that formed on his lips. Yes, this was going to be easy. He stood suddenly causing the boy to flinch.

"Granger, sit down. You're first." he said looking at the red-head.

He saw as the pale boy swallow and pale even more, making his freckles look like blaring marks on his face. Severus made his way around his desk, telling Weasley to stand a fair distance away.

"When learning how to do this, you need to clear your mind of emotion. Block your memories. Do you understand?"

Granger's hand shot up. For God's sake! They weren't in class! He glared at her.

"What?" he snapped fiercely.

"Are you going to show how to deflect you as well as other ways to attempt to keep our memories away from you?"

"If you make it through this lesson, Granger, it would be a damn miracle." Severus snapped.

She sat back in her chair as if he had physically hit her. Severus knew she was shocked at the language he had used, especially with a student. He turned his eyes away from her and looked back at the red-head. He could easily read the fear there.

"Eye contact is needed for this to work correctly, constant eye contact."

Severus raised his wand and pointed it at the boy's face. He visibly recoiled.

"Attempt to keep me out of your mind. I will try to access your resent dreams pertaining to the Dark Lord. On the count of three. One…two…three."

Without verbally saying the incantation, Severus invaded Weasley's mind with no effort what so ever. Immediately Snape summoned forward images of the Dark Lord. He could see Weasley's eyes widen as he saw the images in his head and felt Severus digging deeper. The boy was making no effort!

There was Avery, months before he was killed, begging the Dark Lord for mercy. Another image flashed of Bellatrix laughing at a twitching man on the floor and as she raised her wand to kill him. Another image swam forward in Weasley's mind. A girl. It was Miss Brown. He could feel Weasley's panic as he watched the scene unfold. And just to show him how vulnerable he was, Severus push violently and burst through to be met with an image of Miss Granger's face laughing. Severus smirked at the boy whose eyes widened. He could feel the emotion attached to the memory - an emotion more than sisterly affection.

_Oh crap, oh crap, get out, GET OUT! _Weasley's voice screamed in his head.

_You didn't even put up a fight _Snape thought smirking at him.

"Ah!" Mr. Weasley cried before falling over a desk and crashing to the floor.

Miss Granger helped him off the floor and his eyes immediately flashed to Snape.

"I-I heard you. In my head!" he cried.

"Of course you did, you fool! What did you think I was going to do? I could have done anything in that head of yours! Absolutely no defense!" Severus bellowed.

The room fell silent as Weasley climbed into a seat and put his head down breathing heavily. Severus turned his eyes onto Miss Granger. She looked fearful, but she wasn't backing down. Well, that's a plus he thought to himself. She stood in front of him, her chin jutting slightly up in a defiant way. Their eyes locked. He allowed a moment of constant eye contact.

"Three…two…..one."

Her eyes widened.


	2. No Control

**Hey guys!**

**Just wanted to say, THANK YOU for the reviews. Really, they make my day, so keep them coming!**

**I'm going to try to post every Tuesday. Okay?**

**Well, that's all I really have to say!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>She knew instantly that he was in her mind. She could feel the tense, angry, and cold presence. It was oppressive. Without giving her a chance to breathe, he dove in, instantly pulling forth the memory that Hermione had spoken about that morning in Dumbledore's office. The point where Avery was about to be killed was approaching and her eyes widened in panic as she stared into his. Instantly, she began showing him a different memory. She began showing him a time she spent at the park with her family and concentrated hard on it. Hermione watched as the corner of his mouth twitched slightly in what seemed like a sneer before pain erupted in her skull. This time, she had no control over what he saw. He saw the dream and Avery being killed. He heard the cackle of cold laughter. He heard the screams of innocent victims and the laughter of the Death Eaters. Suddenly, another thought came to the forefront of her mind before she could even stop. Igor was standing in Snape's private store flashing his Dark Mark to show Snape that the mark was becoming darker. Harry had told her about this a while ago. Hermione watched as Snape's eyes narrowed as he continued to watch the memory. He then yanked himself out of her head quickly causing her to cry out in pain.<p>

"I see Potter can't keep his mouth shut." Snape hissed.

She clung to the desk feeling the pain trying to tear her mind in two. Hermione took a few deep breaths as silence clung in the air.

"I'm sorry Professor, but during the Tournament-"

"I'm well aware that Potter told you of what he saw." he ground out glaring at her.

His face suddenly became thoughtful for a moment as he leaned the back of his legs against the desk.

"Miss Granger, what was that memory? About the park?"

"I didn't want to see…" she trailed off and avoided his eyes. "So I pulled the first thing that I could think of."

She could have sworn that she saw his lip quirk in what, for him, would be considered a smile, but as quickly as she had thought she saw it, it was gone.

"You used another memory to deflect me from seeing the one I was after."

She nodded.

"Not bad, Miss Granger, for a first try. But that was not what I was trying to teach." he said instantly destroying his compliment with an insult.

She sighed, and finally straightened herself still slightly wincing. She noticed that Snape looked slightly uncomfortable. He waved his wand and a bottle flew from his office and into the room. A cup appeared and the liquid poured itself.

"Drink that, for your head." he said as Hermione looked at the glass with a sense of suspicion.

"I pulled out of your head too quickly and didn't give you time to adjust." That was the closest thing to an apology as she was going to get.

She took the glass and tentatively took a drink. The sharp pain in her head began to ease and she sighed. Hermione glanced at Ron, his head still down.

"Ron?" she asked looking down at him.

He raised his head from the table and looked at her. He looked terrible. She thrust the drink into his hand and he looked at it for a while.

"Drink it." she said, and he did.

"Perhaps Mr. Weasley doesn't think he's up to the test?" Snape teased.

He jumped up from the desk and stood in front if Snape, the challenge written across his face. Snape seemed amused.

"_Legilimens."  
><em>

* * *

><p>Severus spent the better half of two hours watching Mr. Weasley pick himself up off of the floor. Even with his wand the boy was helpless. It was like Potter all over again. Weasley was completely petrified over the fact that his mind was about to be invaded, that he neglected to even attempt to prevent such a thing from happening.<p>

"Mr. Weasley! Attempt to exercise some self-control over your thoughts!" Severus roared.

This time, he didn't even try to get off the floor. He remained sprawled out staring at the ceiling. Sighing, Severus once again turned to Miss Granger. He could see the intense yearning to prove herself, to whom, he didn't know. He didn't care one way or another if she learned how to correctly prevent the Dark Lord from reading her thoughts.

"Let's go, Granger, get ready." he said even though she already had her wand ready.

He didn't even count due to his frustration, but she didn't need it. Her eyes were locked on his, her feet set apart and wand pointing at him. The determination on her face made him freeze for just a moment. Without words, he was in her head. He could feel her panic for a split second, then a moment of…wonder? He could feel her testing his presence in her own mind, getting comfortable with the intrusion. But she shouldn't be getting comfortable. He pushed forward, grasping onto her feeling of wonder.

He could suddenly see her as a young girl, sitting in a boat, looking upon Hogwarts for the first time in her life, watching as a feather floated into the air, and then a cat. Cat? It was a forced memory, he knew. He raised his eyebrows at her, and was rewarded with her smirk before pushing himself further into her head, the cat dissolving. The crease between her brows deepened as he fought his way through memories that did not interest him. He could feel her trying to find out what he was looking for, seeing if she could head him off before he got to the memories he wanted.

_I know what you're trying to do, Miss Granger_ he thought.

She didn't flinch or make any notice that he had spoken to her. She gazed fiercely into his eyes before feeding him another memory. He found he was looking at her in the library, studying, but she wasn't really reading. Her mind was racing. He felt a strong feeling coming from her…helplessness? Before she had time to react, he was flying through memories, memories that focused on her being powerless in situations. Watching Dementors hover above Sirius Black and Potter, the familiar tightening in the chest, her eyes were widening, her panicking allowing him to access her mind easier and faster, Potter and Weasley fighting, placing her in the middle of it, Potter telling her of dreams he had been having, her parents looking at her oddly after she had explained Transfiguration to them, seeing the slight disapproval in their eyes knowing that their daughter was of a different world entirely.

A subtle twist of her wrist, and he jumped back breaking eye contact along with the spell. He looked at his hand and saw it had small slices, steadily dripping blood. Raising his eyes to Granger's face, he saw that she was appalled at what she had done.

"Severing charm?" he asked slightly amused.

"Yes, I'm so sorry Professor, I didn't mean it, but it was the first thing that came into my head because I happened to glance at my notes before we came here-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. Severus turned his wand on his own hand and performed a quick healing spell before vanishing the remaining spot of blood both on the floor and his hand. She suddenly became embarrassed, and he recalled the last memory that he had seen. Her parents didn't understand a single thing that went on in this world. Granger wouldn't lift her eyes to his face, and instead took a seat staring at her hands. He suddenly felt sorry for her, but quickly caught himself.

"Let's go, Weasley." he barked, even angrier after his near slip up with Granger.

By the end of this sad attempt, Severus was ready to curse the boy into next week.

"Get out! Out! The both of you! And don't come back!"

The red-head immediately fled to the door, and for the first time in twenty minutes, Granger lifted her eyes to his face obviously wondering why she was being thrown out. Nevertheless, she pulled herself up and left the room. Severus stormed up the stairs and into his office before slamming the door behind him. Settling into a chair, he began grading more essays, knowing that he wouldn't have to think while doing that.

* * *

><p>That night at dinner, Hermione listened to Ron telling Harry how the lessons had gone. The two were both in agreement that Snape could not teach them the right way.<p>

"He just kept going! He didn't even tell us how to stop him!" Ron said before stuffing his face with potatoes.

Hermione's head was still aching, and the pain became sharper the more her thoughts raced. She had been doing fine. Why was she thrown out? She could feed him memories, but he knew how to get by that. Hermione didn't want to know how to feed him memories; she wanted to know how to completely prevent him from seeing anything. She wanted to learn how to shield her mind completely. Thinking back, she recalled the moment that she had felt him enter her mind. The force nearly crushed her. She could feel the power radiating off of him. He was fierce, intense, and very unhappy.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah?" she said coming back to the present.

"What do you think about the lessons?"

"I think with practice we can get it." she said.

"Of course you do." Ron said rolling his eyes.

"It wasn't that bad! We just need to practice."

"Well you can practice, because I'm not going back there. You-Know-Who can read my mind all he wants. I don't ever want to hear Snape's voice in my head again." he said shivering slightly.

"I told you, he's a terrible teacher." Harry said.

"He is not!" Hermione snapped quickly.

"Oh, right, you don't like to say bad things about your teachers." he said glaring at her because she was defending Snape.

"Well, I'm going back!" she hissed shoving her plate away from her and standing up.

"Now?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Ronald, now! You can stay here."

She had left the room before either could say another word. Anger pulsed through her veins as the conversation replayed in her mind. He wasn't a bad teacher! The subject material was just a little difficult to grasp. When she reached the room, she threw the door opened and walked in. The room was pitch-black, except the small sliver of light that came from under the office door. Taking a deep breath, she marched up to the door and knocked three times.

"Professor?" she called.

There was no answer. There wasn't a sound. Could he be at dinner?

"Professor?" she asked again.

Why would the light be on if he wasn't there? Maybe he just forgot to blow out the candles in his room? She was suddenly aware of how cold the room was. Fine! She'd just sit at this desk until he came out! Or back from dinner. Either way, she was going to talk to him. Turning around, she took a seat in the back of the classroom, taking care to be as quiet as possible. Hermione couldn't keep track of the time, only knowing that her thoughts were beginning to blur due to exhaustion. Finally, just as she was beginning to succumb to sleep, the door was wretched open. She jolted up, her eyes darting around and looking for the light that had been extinguished. Footsteps harshly struck the stone floor. Fumbling could be heard, and with a sigh of frustration, two torches in the room were suddenly lit. The light made her recoil slightly due to her burning eyes. When Hermione looked up, she saw Snape digging in his desk drawer, and as if he could feel her looking at him, his black eyes snapped up. Before he spoke, she could feel the rage.

"What are you doing here?" he said quietly, though Hermione could feel the rage simmering just below the surface.

"I-I needed to talk to you, Professor." she stumbled.

"I thought I told you to get out!"

"You did, sir, but I-I want to keep taking lessons."

"Well, Miss Granger," he sneered. "Find someone else to teach you."

"But you're the most accomplished-"

"No I am not!" he immediately cut her off.

She climbed to her feet and approached him, and with an extreme amount of effort kept her eyes locked on his burning black eyes that were furious.

"Professor, please. I want to learn."

"Of course you do, you know it all. When haven't you wanted to learn before?"

"Not only that, but this is important, for Harry's safety."

"No, Granger, and that's final. I will not waste my time with someone like you. Get out. I'm not giving you a note, so if you get caught out of bed past curfew, it is not my responsibility." he sneered at her.

She glared at him for a long moment before straightening her shoulders out and tilting her chin up defiantly.

"Fine," she said sounding childish. "I'll ask the Headmaster to teach me being that you seem to be incapable of doing so."

She knew it sounded mean, and Hermione felt horrid about taking to a teacher so disrespectfully, but she needed these lessons. Turning on her heel, she marched towards the door.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for speaking to a teacher in such a rude manner." he barked.

She pretended she didn't hear him.

"Be in my office tomorrow night, Miss Granger."

Hermione turned to look at Snape. He was standing still, staring at her with his hands clenched into fists.

"See you tomorrow then, Professor." she said.

"You are to tell no one of these lessons. Tell them it is extra credit."

"I will, and thank you."

He seemed taken aback.

"Goodnight, sir."

Hermione left the room, her heart soaring, focusing on how to get to bed without being caught.

The next day, she quickly ate and ran to the Defense room. Shoving open the door, she immediately found Professor Snape hunched over some essays. He didn't look up when she entered the room, instead choosing to ignore her completely. Placing her things down on a desk, she pulled out her wand. Hermione hadn't noticed that he had looked up from his papers and was intently waiting for her eyes to lift to his. She sensed his gaze, and looked up.

In a flash, he was in her head, shoving memories aside and digging deeper and deeper, faster than she could comprehend what was going on. She could see flashes of her day, the test she took in Charms, see Harry and Ron's face, and then suddenly they were at dinner and she was watching their conversation replay and saw herself disagree with her two best friends. And as quickly as it had come, the oppressive feeling was gone and she stumbled slightly.

"You can never let your guard down, Miss Granger. Never. If you do, the Dark Lord can access anything he wants."

"You didn't give me a chance!"

"And do you think he will?" he snapped standing from his desk.

She felt a surge of anger at him, but quickly banished it remembering that she was supposed to be clearing her mind.

"No Weasley?" he asked with a smirk as he slid his robes away from his wrists.

"No, he doesn't think he can do it."

"He can't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you can always tell if someone has the gift. The first time their minds are breached, they have a natural defense up already, though usually it is weak, but it's something at least. Then we can take that and build on it."

"But I didn't have that." she said.

"Yes you did, but the weakest one I've come across yet, but there is something to build on." he said not sounding at all like he was praising her, more like scolding.

She fell silent, thinking for a moment.

"Sir, can I-can I ask a question?"

"Do I really have a choice, Miss Granger?" he said sighing deeply.

"I was wondering, once you think I have the general grasp of Occlumency, could you maybe teach me Legilimency?"

"What!?"

Immediately she recoiled from the sound of his voice echoing through the empty classroom.

"What purpose would that serve?! I am only to teach you Occlumency! That is it, Granger!"

"Please, sir! I just thought maybe when I learned Legilimency, I could help teach Ron and Harry Occlumency! They need to learn, sir, and until they do nothing is safe from Voldemort."

"DO NOT SAY HIS NAME!"

The room fell silent except for Snape's heavy breath. He had his face lowered, allowing her only to see his greasy hair. When he finally raised his eyes to her face, she couldn't help noticing how shallow his skin looked. A few good hours of sleep would do him well.

"Miss Granger," he was choosing his words carefully. "This is not something a girl of your age should be learning."

"I'm seventeen!" she cried instantly.

"Regardless! You are not capable of such a feat."

"Dumbledore himself said that you were my age when you learned."

"Yes, when I learned Occlumency."

"I would like to learn both."

"No, I will only teach you Occlumency."

She was silent, and he raised his eyes to her face. Giving a curt nod, accepting his answer, she tightened her hand around her wand, preparing for their lesson to begin.

"You do not need your wand."

She looked at him puzzled.

"The most important thing that you can do is to build mental barriers. You must imagine your memories being locked up in a room that no one can break into. This is difficult to master, but it is the only way to ensure safety. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but…I'm not sure _how_ to build the barriers in my head."

"It could be anything. Anything with a surface that looks impenetrable."

"May I ask what you use?"

He looked uncertain for a moment, debating whether or not he should tell her.

"I use a room. The person trying to access my thoughts must break through one of the walls I have spent years building. In this room I can feed them the memories I want them to see while keeping the less…desirable ones hidden." he said quietly, no trace of malice in his voice.

After a moment, he seemed to remember himself and raised his wand at her face.

"Now concentrate, block me from your memories and thoughts, hide your emotion from me."

They stared at one another for a moment, as her mind focused on the ocean. She had gone to the beach with her parents often, and figured the water was a more than acceptable way to block him. Giving him a short nod, Snape wordlessly cast the spell. Water. Water. Water. She pictured the ocean, only letting him see the water, making sure that in her mind it was harder than concrete. He hit the surface, and did not break through. His black eyes bore into hers, and she felt triumphant for a moment. He took advantage of that, and burst under the surface, wreaking havoc in her mind. The memories flashed quicker than she could see. Just blurs of color, until the movement came to an abrupt halt. She saw her parents standing in the sitting room, while her four year old self was on the floor playing with her dolls. Staring intently at the doll's head, the hair instantly grew and turned red. Her parents went silent as they saw the scene unfold. Fast forward. Hermione was ten years old, and sitting in the kitchen with her parents who were yelling at her for something she did wrong.

"Hermione, didn't we teach you better?" her father said.

"You told us that you knew what was going on!" her mother snapped.

"I thought I did, but then the teacher handed out the test and I-I don't know, I froze!" she began crying as she tried to explain herself.

"Apparently you haven't been studying enough!" her mother said, ignoring the sobs.

"I studied for four hours a night every day this week! What more do you want!?"

The glasses sitting in the drying rack suddenly exploded, sending glass shattering everywhere. Her parents jumped up and moved away from her as if she was contagious.

"I-I didn't do that!"

"Go to bed. Now." her father said.

She fled to her room.

Professor Snape pulled out of her mind. She stood motionless, taking deep, long breaths.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Granger." he said obviously trying to keep his voice quiet.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"That depends on what the favor is."

"Whatever goes on during these lessons, can we-can it stay between the two of us?"

He remained silent and she didn't risk a glance at his face.

"Very well, Miss Granger, nothing will ever leave this room."

"Thank you." she whispered felling her emotions pushing forward.

"I think that you should go now, we've done enough for today."

She didn't say another word as she left the room.


	3. Charms

**HEY!**

**I just wanted to say, thank you for the reviews! Really, they're all amazing.**

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Severus sat for a while afterward replaying her memories in his head. Certainly they were private, but nothing was private when someone was raiding your memories. He hated himself because he actually felt…sorry? Yes, he supposed with a scowl, he felt sorry for her. Granger's childhood was too much like his own and he understood the feeling. No wonder she is how she is. Tracing his lips with his finger, he thought of her parent's reaction to her magic. They acted as if she had just thrown up on the floor at their feet.<p>

He then thought of her request: _Whatever happens during these lessons, can it stay between the two of us?_

Not to mention the fact that she refused to look him in the face afterwards. Being a witch was nothing to be ashamed of. Suddenly, the flames burst in the fireplace, revealing Professor Dumbledore.

"Good evening Severus."

"Good evening, Headmaster."

Dumbledore studied him for a moment over his half-moon glasses. The twinkling blue eyes pierced him so much so he turned away and pretended to be going through his desk for something.

"Is something bothering you, Severus?"

"No, Headmaster, everything is fine."

"How did the Occlumency lessons go today?"

"Weasley was horrendous, but that was to be expected. Miss Granger-" he cut himself off.

"Yes?"

"She proved to be adequate." he settled with a cold drawl.

"I knew she would be. Miss Granger has a knack of picking things up quickly."

"Yes." Severus agreed with no emotion.

"I've come to ask you-"

"About my recent meeting with the Dark Lord?"

"Yes." Dumbledore said with a slight smile.

"He admits he's been using the two to get to Potter. I've a feeling that he's focusing more on Miss Granger than Weasley due to the fact that she's more-"

More what? Intelligent? Driven? Mature?

"Observational." he concluded.

Dumbledore said nothing, but nodded.

"Yes, yes, well that was to be expected."

"None of this was expected." Severus snapped.

"It was only a matter of time until Voldemort stopped trying to attack Harry and instead attack the things that mean the most to him."

Severus winced when Dumbledore said the name. He was tired of having these conversations. Being a double spy was doing nothing but slowly and painfully killing him. The Dark Lord would keep Severus until three in the morning, and even when he arrived back at Hogwarts, he still couldn't sleep as he rethought the night's events.

"I won't keep you any longer, my dear boy, because I seemed to have interrupted a serious thought upon my arrival." Dumbledore said stepping back into the fire and vanishing.

Severus immediately left the room, storming towards his lab. The only thing that seemed to calm him nowadays was brewing a particularly difficult potion. He checked his time piece. Three hours before he would have to begin patrolling the grounds. This was more than enough time. When he entered the small room, he lit one torch and pulled off his robes, tossing them on a broken chair. Lighting a fire under one of the cauldrons, Severus began yanking materials off of the shelves and tossing them haphazardly on the table he used for his preparations. Letting his mind finally shut down, Severus began his work.

Three hours later, and with a wave of his wand, he cleared the room and pulled back on his robes. Now he'd have to walk the corridors for another three hours stuck alone and with his own thoughts. To be honest, he never did much patrolling. He stole away to the Astronomy Tower nearly every night and stared out across the grounds, very much wishing for his freedom. This night, he immediately headed for the tower, not wishing to run into any student.

As soon as he reached the tower, he silently darted toward the railing and breathed in deeply. He felt like he would soon buckle under the tense pressure that was being put on him. Lying to the Dark Lord, being a spy for Dumbledore, and now the exhausting lessons with Granger. Without thinking, he brushed his finger along his sleeve, the Dark Mark hidden beneath the material. Soon, he would be summoned. He knew that.

A sudden sniffle caught his attention. Snapping his head to his right, he saw a figure leaning against the one of the pillars in the Tower. He opened his mouth to yell, until his saw the unmistakable bushy hair. Sighing, he walked over silently.

"Miss Granger." he drawled.

The girl squeaked and spun around before quickly hiding her face. He saw the glimmer of wetness in the small amount of light that the sky was still giving off.

"Professor, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, I know it's passed curfew, you can give me a detention, I won't complain, I shouldn't be out-"

"Granger!" he snapped quickly stopping the girl from rambling. "I am well aware that it is past curfew, and I'm beginning to think that your behavior is a repercussion of spending too much time with Potter."

He chose to ignore the fact that it sounded as if she had a cold. Hearing her give off a pitiful laugh, he stepped to the railing and began surveying the land with his hand folded behind his back.

"Should I bother asking why you are up here?" he asked without looking at her.

"I just needed…to be alone," she mumbled before turning and facing the rail. "I know what you must be thinking, Professor."

"I highly doubt that, Miss Granger," he said with a smirk in his voice. "But, by all means, try and guess."

He saw her lip turn up slightly, which looked like a pitiful attempt to smile.

"About the memories you saw," she began.

Oh great, he thought. He didn't want to talk about her feelings. It was bad enough that she was already crying.

"My parents are good people." she said gently.

"I'm sure they are." he replied with a tone that caught her attention quickly.

"They are, they just don't…understand this world."

"That's understandable."

She sighed frustrated, at him or with herself, he didn't know, and he didn't care he reminded himself.

"I-I try to explain things to them, try to get them to-I don't know-connect with me. We have nothing in common. They talk about teeth; I talk about turning a bird into a goblet. They talk about politics; I talk about Vol-, sorry, You-Know-Who. I've…I've tried to explain to them what's going on in our world, they don't seem grasp what I say half the time. I think they pretend they do to make me happy."

"And the memories of you doing magic?" he prompted, but instantly wanted to hit himself for doing so.

"That," she muttered sounding as if she were rolling her eyes. "It's bad enough trying talk to them about it. But when they actually see it…" she trailed off and he had the strongest feeling that she was fighting back tears. "They look at me like I'm a freak. When I was small, and I was angry or upset, things would happen. They thought there was something wrong with me, wrong with my brain and the way it had developed. I was put through psychological tests, you know, the tests where they-"

"I'm well aware of what a psychological test is, Miss Granger." he said harshly.

"Er-right-well I went to see five different doctors. All the results were the same. They-my parents-regarded me as a ticking time bomb or something. I could tell whenever I walked into a room; they would suddenly go silent, tense up as if I was going to attack them."

The silence hung in the air. He couldn't help but feel slightly bad for her. At least one of his parents cared about him, his mother.

"I'm not saying that I don't love them or anything, I do, but still…I wish they could just…"

"Accept you." Severus finished for her.

She turned her head towards him, and in the corner of his eye he could see her smile at him.

"Yes," she whispered. "Even for a moment, if they one hundred percent accepted me for a moment, I would be happy."

"Magic is something most Muggles never understand."

"I know, I just-I wish that they could."

Silence hung over them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was just two people, too absorbed in their own thoughts to be bothered with one another. Something suddenly occurred to him.

"Mr. Weasley didn't take well to the lesson, I presume?"

She gave a small laugh.

"No, he-well he was rather scared of you to be honest, sir. He kept saying that it wasn't his fault, but rather-"

She cut herself off quickly.

"He believed it was my teaching ability." he said with barely suppressed amusement.

"Well, yes, and Harry seems to think the same way. With a little practice, I think they can get it."

"Some people were never meant to master Occlumency, Miss Granger."

"I know, but-they need to. They're jeopardizing their lives if they don't."

"It is their choice whether or not they learn."

This was meant as a dismissal, and she clearly took the hint.

"I know," she sighed. "Well, good night, Professor."

"Miss Granger." he replied with a slight nod.

She began walking away, and he was just about to sigh deeply, glad to be alone once again, her voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"I just wanted to say that I don't think that you're a bad teacher, or that you don't have the ability to teach."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." he said sarcastically.

"Granted, you can be a bit…harsh at times, but I think you're a great Professor."

Before he could respond, he could hear her shoes clanking loudly as she walked down the metal stairs. There was a sudden flutter in his stomach at her words. He relished the feeling for a moment, but then quickly squashed it. Later that night, as he lay in bed, the words echoed around his skull, seeking to tantalize him until the early hours of the morning.

* * *

><p>Hermione showed up to the classroom exactly on time. She felt the heat rush to her face as she thought about the night before. She had poured her deepest thoughts into him, and what surprised her even more was that he didn't once tell her to leave or shut her mouth. Anxiously, with her stomach in knots, she closed the door behind her as her embarrassment rose to nearly unbearable levels.<p>

"Miss Granger." he drawled in greeting.

"Good evening, Professor." she said coming to a stop in front of his desk.

When he didn't stand, she looked up into his face. He was staring at her, evidently waiting for her to look up.

"Sir?"

"Today, Miss Granger, we will be doing very little practice. A thought occurred to me last night. You never seem to be without a book, granted if you couldn't have a book, I'm sure you'd die, but it occurred to me that, perhaps if you _read_ the theory of Occlumency, you would better understand what needs to be done."

Hermione felt her face flush.

"Sir, I've already read up on Occlumency."

"Oh? That's not surprising in the least. Did you learn anything?"

"I've taken some books out of the library, but they seem so vague that I haven't really been able to get much from them."

"Of course they're vague, do you use your head girl? Do you think something like that would be in the public part of the library?"

"Oh, I didn't think about that." she muttered, embarrassed.

"That's obvious enough," he opening a drawer. "I've taken the liberty of pulling a book out of the Restricted Section for you, perhaps it can help."

He placed the book down on the desktop and pushed it towards her. Hermione stepped forward and gently lifted up the ratty looking book. On the cover, in peeling gold letters was the word Occlumency. The pages were tattered and aged, but she couldn't help the smile that formed on her face.

"Well, stop standing there grinning like a fool. Sit down and read." he snapped.

She instantly did as she was told. Carefully, she made her way through the book, most of it nonsense and stuff that Professor Snape already told her, but then she came across a rather useful paragraph.

"_Once the shield is in place, some try to defend it by using said shield to attack the intruder. The defender must exercise extreme mental discipline to complete such a task. If the attacker is advanced enough, they could counter the attack, therefore allowing them to access the defenders thoughts."_

Hermione raised her eyes and looked at Professor Snape. He was viciously scratching across a student's essay, evidently sick of the poor writing he was being forced to read. His face was drawn, and pale, but never the less, Hermione put her hand in the air. The motion caused him to pause and look up at her.

"For heaven's sake, we're not in class! What do you want?"

Her hand shot down instantly and her cheeks flushed.

"I'd like to try."

He raised an eyebrow at her and put down his quill.

"You've read the book?" he said eyeing the book that wasn't halfway done yet.

"Oh, no, not yet. But they mention something that I would like to try." she said eagerly.

"Very well, Granger. Stand up." he said sighing.

She stood and began formulating her mental shield again, this time, it would have a new twist. He shrugged out of his robes, and threw them onto his chair and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. She watched as Professor Snape walked around to the front of his desk with his wand locked firmly in his grip. Raising his eyes to her face, he looked at both of her hands, and then his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Where is your wand, Granger?"

"I'm not using it."

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he was enjoying her sudden confidence. Professor Snape raised his wand, leveling it at her face.

"Three….two…one."

He was there, in her mind. Hermione knew that she had to be on guard, but she found his presence rather comforting. Noticing his shocked expression, she quickly shifted her thoughts to her mental shield. Concentrating hard on the ocean and its concrete like surface, she could feel him mustering the energy to attack her. Seconds later, she felt him smash into the surface, causing her to wince slightly.

Her mind immediately flashed to the book. Attack. Attack the attacker. Mustering the image in her mind, she forced her shield to fight back as he was rearing for another attack. She gathered up the remaining portion of her mental energy and formulated a wave, a towering wave that was barreling menacingly toward him. She saw his eyes flash with shock.

_Go. Go. GO. GO!_ She screamed in her head, the wave becoming larger, taller, and more powerful.

She was going to lose it if she didn't hit him soon. In a final burst of energy, she imagined and invisible hand scooping the wave up, and slamming it into Professor Snape.

Instantly, the two fell to the floor. Hermione closed her eyes, feeling the cool stone on her cheek and the sweat that appeared on her brow. She was breathing heavily suddenly feeling too weak to even move. But, to avoid further embarrassment she pushed herself up to a sitting position and rested her back against a desk. Turning her head, she saw Professor Snape on the ground leaning his back against the front of his desk. He was breathing heavily and still wore a look of shock.

"P-Professor?" she managed to get out.

He held up his hand, not willing to answer at the moment. The two remained for a while longer on the ground, not looking or speaking to one another. Only when Hermione's back begin to ache did she make a move to get up.

"Stay still, Granger." Professor Snape said quietly.

She instantly settled herself back on the ground and turned to look at her professor. His face seemed even paler than usual and more drawn. If she were his mother she'd send him straight to bed after a large meal. He needed rest. His knees were bent and his feet were spread apart but planted firmly on the ground and his arms were resting on his knees limply while his wand rest between his feet, forgotten at the moment.

"Sir?" she asked gently.

He didn't respond, keeping his greasy hair in front of his face, but instead reached for his wand. He stretched his legs out in front of him, rather slowly, as if it hurt him to do so. Flicking his wrist, a bottle and two glasses came from his office door and came to rest with a loud thump beside him, as if the magic wouldn't hold. He grabbed the bottle, and with a shaking hand, poured a generous amount of liquid into both glasses. With another flick of his wrist, a glass darted to Hermione, hovering in front of her. She instantly took it staring at the amber liquid.

"Drink all of that." Professor Snape said before downing the contents of his drink in two gulps and refilling his glass. "And you are not to tell a soul I gave you anything other than pumpkin juice to drink."

She took a sip, feeling the liquid burning her throat, but she didn't stop. The warmth that spread through her body felt wonderful. Soon her glass was empty, and she turned to see Professor Snape finishing off his second glass. He noticed she had finished and the glass was suddenly snatched out of her hand and landed cleanly in his hand. He refilled it before shooting it back at her. She finished the glass and placed it next to her, hearing Professor Snape finish his third glass. Hermione leaned her head back against the desk feeling drained completely, the alcohol making her even more tired than she already was. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't acknowledge him.

"Granger, what was that?" he finally asked.

She turned her eyes to him, and found him relaxed on the floor with the back of his head resting on the desk.

"I read it, in the book, about using your shield to stop the attacker."

He looked at the book and summoned it and she watched as it gracefully landed in his lap. His hand reached behind him, on the desk, before pulling back with a pair of spectacles in his hand. Slipping them on, he began reading the passage.

"You wear glasses?" she blurted out suddenly.

He raised his eyes from the book and peered at her over his glasses, flashing her a rare smile.

"Yes, Miss Granger, I'm blind as a bat, thank you for asking."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." she stumbled, but she was too focused on the smile, the real, genuine smile he had just given her.

"I'm not easily offended, Miss Granger, there's not need to try and scramble for an apology and explanation." he said with a glint in his eye before turning back to the book.

The color rose in her cheeks and she closed her eyes, anxious to regain her composure. A short while later Hermione heard the book close and she looked over at him. He had just pulled the glasses from his face and was placing them back on the desk, rather awkwardly seeing as he was still sitting on the floor. Snape rubbed his pale face with both hands before running his hand through his greasy hair.

"Well, Miss Granger, even I have to admit that was impressive for a first try. Extremely impressive."

She felt herself blush at the compliment and was glad that her hair had fallen over her face. Professor Snape lifted himself lithely from the ground making sure to keep his hand locked on the desk at all times. With a simple wand movement, the bottle and two glasses shot back into his office, and this time had a more controlled landing.

"Can you stand?" he asked eyeing her carefully.

"Yes." she said pulling herself up.

He made a motion to help her, but stopped himself quickly. Clearing his throat, he sat down on his desktop. Hermione couldn't believe how different he looked without his black robes billowing about him. He looked…human. She didn't have time to think about that now as her knees began to wobble slightly. She took a seat at a desk, a few away from him, and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, sir." she said.

"What for?"

"Knocking you to the ground, I shouldn't have-"

"Miss Granger, if the Dark Lord was invading your mind and you forced him out causing him to fall onto the floor, would you apologize?" he asked.

"Well, no, but-"

"I thought so. Ten points from Gryffindor." he said, though he sounded tired.

"But you're not him, he's sick…and you're not."

"And how do you know that?" he asked.

She looked up and him to study his face, which had gone hard and impassive.

"I just know."

"You'd be surprised." he muttered, fingering the Dark Mark that was burned into his skin on his left wrist.

The movement drew her eyes to the mark, but she did not flinch or look away, she actually was extremely interested in it. Seeing her eyes, he pulled down his sleeve.

"Sir, when you were in my head, how did I force you…out?"

"The force of the wave, obviously. The amount of energy that you put behind it was enough to push me out of your head. I suggest you don't put that much energy behind it again. I don't think that either of us would fair very well the next time."

"Why shouldn't I put so much energy behind it? It got you out, didn't it?"

"Yes, but look at the price you've had to pay! It's been nearly an hour and we've just managed to pick ourselves up! Imagine if you did that with the Dark Lord?"

"He'd be just as much affected as I would be!" she countered, angry that he was suddenly scolding her.

"No, he'd dodge your wave, draining you of energy and then attack. He's practiced the art for years. A seventeen year old girl is not going to stop him."

"But I stopped you." she said matter-of-factly.

"Foolish girl, do you think you won? Of course I let you hit me; I was trying to see what you were trying to do!"

Her heart sank. Here she had been thinking that she had beaten him, but he had let her attack him the whole time.

"I wouldn't have allowed it if I had known how much mental energy you were exerting to accomplish such a task. It's not good for me, and it's far worse for you."

"Why?"

"With that much force," he said with a sigh. "You have basically weakened both yourself and the person who you were attacking. You can momentarily stop their magic, or greatly weaken it."

Hermione thought of when he had summoned the bottle and glasses when the two had first fallen to the ground. They didn't seem to be able to stay up in the air. His eyes suddenly rose to hers and she could see the boiling anger.

"But using that much energy does more damage to yourself than anything. You've practically destroyed your mental blocks, and if the Dark Lord tried to access your mind tonight, he'd have no trouble whatsoever. Not to mention the physical toll such an act causes. In reality, if you were to repeat this, you would have no chance."

Her eyes widened with a sudden fear, and he leaned back slightly.

"I'm not saying that you _shouldn't_ exercise such a tactic, just make sure that you know your limitations. Tonight they were obviously pushed too far."

"Is there a way to…strengthen a shield, mentally? So I wouldn't feel like this afterwards?"

He smirked at her.

"Taking a leaf out of your book, Granger, I'm going to tell you to practice. The mind is a muscle, after all, and the more practice, the stronger you get. But I'm telling you now," he suddenly became stern again, allowing the coldness to seep back into his voice and his eyes to flare. "You are not to exert that much energy again, do you understand?"

She nodded with wide eyes.

"At least until you've had some practice." he added, rubbing his face.

They remained silent for a few more minutes, trying to regain their bearings and their strength. Finally, Snape stood from his desk and walked around it to fetch his robes. Once he had straightened them back out so he resembled his usual self, he turned to look at her.

"I think it's best you go to bed now, it would be useless to try again."

She nodded and then stood shakily to grab her things. Hermione went to hand the book back to him, but he shook his head.

"Read the rest and return it to the library by the end of the week." he said.

"Thank you." she replied quietly.

He nodded, but said nothing else about it.

"Come, I'll walk you back."

"Oh, you don't need to, sir." she said immediately, not wanting to be trouble.

"Miss Granger, not only is it past curfew, but you look as if you're going to collapse at any moment, and I don't feel like filling out paper work on you." he said harshly.

She said nothing, but left the room hearing his footsteps behind her. For a few minutes, they walked in silence, but she quickly slowed down due to her exhaustion. Snape kept shooting her glances out of the corner of his eye and he finally gave a loud sigh as they entered into the courtyard.

"Sit down and stop trying to be a hero."

"I'm not trying to be a hero!" she snapped.

"For once, Miss Granger, could you try and not live up to every expectation of a Gryffindor? Keeping quiet when you're suffering is not a trait to be proud of." he snapped gesturing to a stone bench.

She sat down with a huff and he sat down beside her without another word.

"Slytherins have qualities they shouldn't be proud of either." she snapped crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

He gave a small chuckle, but didn't respond to her. She pulled her wand from her bag and waved it at some leaves that had recently fallen from a tree. The leaves turned into bright blue birds that flew around in a group chattering happily. Hermione couldn't help but think about how out of place the birds looked as they danced around in the moonlight. She changed their color to red, and then individually changed their colors so yellow, green, blue, and red birds were dancing around following the movements of Hermione's wand. Holding out her hand, a green, rather chubby looking bird gracefully landed on her palm as the others flew away. With a smirk she made the bird jump and land on Snape's shoulder. He didn't even flinch, but was trying to hide a small smile that had been finding its way onto his face. The bird then hovered in front of his face until he held out his hand, allowing it the land on him. She watched as he reached out and ran a finger down the birds back, slightly smiling at the feel.

"Very impressive, Miss Granger. You're rather gifted with charms." he said pulling his eyes from the bird and fixing them on her face.

She shrugged her shoulders and willed the bird to become orange.

"I spend a lot of time practicing."

"Even with those two friends of yours?"

She smiled as the bird turned blood red.

"Yes, when they are busy fooling around, I don't have anyone to talk to, so I practice. Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, anything."

"You feel the need to prove yourself," he said, rather than asked as the bird turned a lilac color.

"No, I never said that," she instantly countered. "But…I guess I do,"

She wordlessly cast a growing charm, allowing the bird to become slightly larger before turning it an ugly pink color.

"And, pray, do tell how one 'studies' Potions without physically performing the instructions?"

"I memorized how to brew each one we were studying in class."

"You memorized the instructions?"

"Yes, how else was I to learn? I couldn't exactly go waltzing into your room to practice, you'd have taken away all our House points and given me detention until the next year." she said teasing him slightly.

"You never seemed to need to practice."

"I know. I could brew every potion we did without the book. Not to say it wasn't difficult. Memorizing some of the instructions was nearly impossible. Mostly the numbers, like amounts of ingredients and times the potion had to be stirred."

"I can imagine." he said still studying the bird on his hand.

"You must think I'm a loser." she blurted out.

"And why would you think that I believe you to be a 'loser', as you so eloquently put it?"

"I spend my free time doing schoolwork and researching things that don't pertain to school. I spend my weekends in the library rather than talking with my friends. Besides Harry and Ron, I don't have any friends."

He was silent for a moment as the bird, on its own accord, climbed his arm and perched on his shoulder. She turned it bright yellow before slipping her wand into her bag, no longer feeling like performing charms.

"No, Miss Granger," he finally said after a long moment in a deep voice. "As much as I hate to admit this, you are rather like myself when I was in school. I constantly buried myself in my school work to avoid facing people. And I also memorized Potions," he said looking at her sideways and giving her a smirk. "I was always pushing things, trying to find a better way to do things. I ended up in the hospital wing more than once because of it."

He pulled out his wand and began controlling the bird. Hermione watched as the bird suddenly emitted a flash that resembled that of a camera's. When her eyes refocused, she saw the bird, now taking on a ghost like appearance, flapping around, but it was emitting a beautiful silver glow, leaving small wisps of smoke in its wake.

"Is that a Patronus?" she asked awe-struck.

"No, it's a rather complicated charm." he said not taking his eyes off of the bird.

The bird then split in two, and in place of the first one, there were two slightly smaller ones. The birds kept splitting until more than two dozen were gracefully soaring through the air. Snape put his wand away, as the birds floated into the courtyard, prompting Hermione to follow them. As she stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by graceful and beautiful birds, she felt her spirits soar. For the first time in ages, she felt truly happy watching the birds float around her lighting up the courtyard like fairies. Professor Snape had advanced a short distance into the courtyard, some birds were also floating around him, and his face looked less strained.

"I didn't know you were any good at charms." she said looking at him.

His lip quirked slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the archway.

"Yes, I'm fairly gifted at charms. Just because I'm a Potions master doesn't mean I'm not capable of other magic."

"I'm sorry Professor, I didn't-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. The two remained silent watching the birds one by one fade as the magic wore off. Finally, there was a single bird left hovering in front of Hermione's face. Holding out her hand, the bird landed gracefully in her palm. The feet felt like a cool mist on her hand and she smiled at the sight of the bird. The light began to dim, until finally the bird vanished, and she could feel the mist slide between her fingers. The courtyard was dark again, and Hermione felt her heart sink slightly.

"They were…beautiful." she whispered to the man standing a short distance away.

She was glad that it was dark so he wouldn't be able to see the tears threatening their way forward.

"Come, it's late." he replied gruffly, but she knew that he appreciated the comment.

Hermione grabbed her things and began the silent trek up the stairs that were particularly keen on keeping them from their destination that night. Finally, they reached the seventh floor, and were met with the Fat Lady's vicious glare for waking her.

"Good night, Professor." she said pushing the portrait opened.

He gave a single nod to let her know that he had heard her before turning and heading down the stairs.

"Professor!" she called suddenly turning around.

He turned on the stairs with a raised eye brow, but he was blending in with the darkness making it hard to see his face. She should see the small amount of light reflecting in his eyes and she swallowed deeply.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she mumbled awkwardly. "For the lessons, and…and for listening." she added lowering her eyes to the ground.

When he didn't reply, she looked up and noticed that he had lowered his eyes and that his cheeks held a faint color to them. Oh God, what he must think of her!

"I'll…I'll see you tomorrow, sir." she muttered before clamoring through the portrait hole.

She stumbled into the room and immediately took her place in the chair closest to the fire, which was slowly dying. Her thoughts were racing, but her eyes were closing. That was until she suddenly remembered what Professor Snape had said about her defenses.

The thought jolted her awake in an instant. She couldn't sleep that night. She knew she couldn't. What if Voldemort raided her mind tonight? What if he saw that Professor Snape was giving her Occlumency lessons? What if he found out that Snape was giving her lessons for the soul purpose of blocking the Dark Lord out? Her thoughts alone could condemn him. Hermione couldn't be sure, but she was fairly certain that Snape was conversing between the two sides. She only hoped he was truly loyal to their side.

The rest of the night she made sure she was on guard, checking for a foreign presence in her mind. The hours seemed to slow down to a horrible crawl as she desperately fought to keep herself awake. Hermione focused on her homework making sure that her eyes were glued open.

Finally, after what seemed like days, the first Gryffindors began to emerge from their beds, looking puffy-eyed. Hermione's eyes were burning, she felt nauseous, and her limbs were stiff to the point she was in pain. Putting her books away, she got changed and went to breakfast, but pushed her food around her plate. Shoving her plate away roughly, she looked up just in time to see Professor Snape enter the room, his eyes instantly finding hers. Hermione, in a panic, turned her head and instantly snatched up her things before fleeing the room. She didn't want him in her head today.


	4. Worry

**Hey guys! Guess what day it is? TUESDAY!**

**Well, read and enjoy! This is a pretty long chapter.**

* * *

><p>Professor Snape stood, frozen, as he stared at her retreating form. Even from the staff table he could see her bloodshot eyes, a clear sign of lack of sleep. Not to mention the dark circles that were present on her face. He certainly hoped she hadn't spent the night crying. Realizing how awkward he must have looked, he quickly took his seat and lowered his eyes to his plate. Snatching up the Daily Prophet, he stared at the front page. The page consisted of a single large photo, and a bold headline. The picture was of a house, and above the house was the Dark Mark.<p>

Severus raised his eyes and glanced around the room at the students. He could tell which had already seen the paper, and which hadn't. No doubt that's all anyone would talk about that day. Sure enough, as he stormed into his class, many of the students quickly stuffed their newspapers in books and bags while some went as far as to hide the papers in their robes. Severus conducted his class with more gusto to prevent any questions or gossip.

The period had finally come where Miss Granger and her idiotic friends would be arriving. She walked in, with hunched shoulders looking as if she could barely life her feet to walk. Granger took a seat in the back of the class, carefully avoiding his eyes, he knew. Sitting at his desk, he watched as Mr. Weasley handed Potter the Daily Prophet and then Potter handed it over to Granger, whose glassy eyes hardly recognized what was on the page. Finally, her eyes adjusted, and widened as her drawn face paled. The petrified look on her face quickly vanished and was replaced by a sudden look of anger. Slowly she lowered the paper to her desk, whispering words quickly to her friends. Then, she raised her eyes to his. There was no doubt she was furious, and if he wasn't a teacher, he knew she would have hexed him on the spot. The bell rang, and her eyes quickly shot down to her desk as she shoved the paper into her bag.

Severus strolled around the room, giving a lecture on counter-curses. When he passed Miss Granger's desk, he noticed her fists were balled up on the desktop, making her skin white with the strain, and that she hadn't copied a single note, which for her, was very unusual. As class progressed, her eyes never once strayed upward to his, and it was if she were pretending he wasn't even there. When the bell rang, everyone began quickly stuffing their belongings back into bags.

"Ten inches of parchment on how counter-curses can save your life!" he snapped before the first person could reach the door.

Miss Granger followed her two friends towards the door, but he stopped her.

"Miss Granger, stay behind, I'd like a word." he said.

The three of them froze, the boys looking at him, Granger simply keeping her eyes to the ground.

"That does not include you, Potter and Weasley, get out." he snapped.

The two left the room, but not before Potter shot a look of pure hatred over his shoulder. Granger sunk into her chair and resumed staring at the desk as if it had the most interesting thing written on its face. He waited for a moment, allowing the sound of people in the hallway to die down before speaking.

"Is there something bothering you, Miss Granger?" he asked allowing no emotion to seep into his voice.

He studied the part of her face that he could see through her busy hair, which she had purposely allowed to fall in front of her. The struggle on her face clearly meant that something was bothering her, but she wouldn't say what.

"Miss Granger?" he prompted.

"I-I wanted to know if-well-no, sir. Nothing's bothering me." she muttered.

He hoped she didn't believe that he bought that for a second. She refused to raise her eyes and he nearly demanded her attention because he was becoming frustrated. Why wouldn't she look at him?

"Very well, go." he snapped standing and climbing the stairs to his office, slamming the door behind him.

He heard what he knew was the unmistakable sound of a sob before the door of his classroom slammed shut. Severus sat at his desk, not moving an inch. What had he done that made her cry? Why wouldn't she look him in the eye? He waited another twenty minutes before heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

When he entered the room he made a point of keeping his eyes down. He almost felt…ashamed of himself for making her cry. His thoughts drifted to last night, and how…polite they had been to one another. Automatically, he recalled her face as she watched the birds fly around the courtyard. The small smile, the twinkling eyes. Her awkward thank you to him on the stairs making him embarrassed to the point he couldn't look the seventeen year old girl in the face. Without wanting to, he raised his eyes to look for her. And he found her, exactly where he knew she would be: between Weasley and Potter. She'd obviously cried extremely hard when she left the room because her nose was red and her eyes were red and puffy. Quickly, he lowered his eyes to his own plate and ate. He couldn't tell whether he was looking forward to this evening's lesson, or if he was dreading it. Severus didn't know if he could look into her eyes after this.

"Ah, Severus, I've been meaning to speak with you." Dumbledore suddenly said from his left.

"Headmaster." he said in greeting.

"How have your lessons been going with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley?" he asked digging into his soup.

"Fine, Weasley has opted not to continue, sir, while Granger, well, you know how she is."

"And how is she doing with the lessons?"

"Fine, better than I thought possible, she-"

"Go on."

"She asked me to teach her Legilimency." he said.

"And what was your response?"

"Of course not! Isn't it enough to learn Occlumency? What purpose could she have in learning such a thing?" he replied, hunched over his own lunch.

"She's a smart young woman who craves new information, very ambitious. Reminds me of someone." he said giving Severus a smile.

"I never asked you to teach me-"

"No, but I knew that you wanted to learn, so I taught you. I would never deny someone when they have such a desire to learn, then again," he said suddenly becoming thoughtful. "Miss Granger may do better focusing her attention on trying to prevent her mind from being invaded than trying to split her focus between the two. For now, Severus, make sure she is learning to shut her mind."

Severus explained to Dumbledore about Miss Granger's shield and the wave she made, and Dumbledore nodded, apparently pleased.

"Miss Granger always had strong mental discipline, just look at the way she studies. Severus, you will teach her how to use her shield well, I am sure." Dumbledore said giving him a smile before leaving the table to talk to Minerva.

Severus wasn't so sure about that anymore.

The day dragged on, and Severus sat in his office, refusing to attend dinner. He just needed some time to himself, to think. Why was he so concerned for her feelings? Because he'd have to feel them at some point during their lessons, he lied to himself. Severus just pulled out a stack of homework assignments when his office door slammed opened, rebounding off of the wall. Miss Granger stood there, bushy hair flying and eyes bloodshot. He sat back in his chair, careful to keep his face straight and emotions in check.

"We need to talk."

Severus paused for a moment looking at her before gesturing to a chair that was positioned in front of his desk. She slammed the door shut and took the seat. Before he could ask her a question, she was digging through her bag and pulled out the newspaper before flinging it on his desk. Severus didn't need to look at the paper to know what she was about to ask.

"Did you do that?" she snapped glaring at him, though he noticed how she was careful not to keep constant eye contact, but made sure her eyes were flickering around his face.

The silence hung in the air as he stared at her.

"No." he answered clearly.

"Were you there?"

"No."

"Did you know anything about this?" she snapped harshly.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" she practically yelled. "You're a Death Eater, aren't you? You should know these things!"

"Miss Granger, you fail to remember that I spent most of the night in your company." he said smoothly.

"No you didn't! You had a good five hours to yourself, maybe more!" she said sounding hysterical.

He sat back in his chair taking a deep breath.

"Miss Granger, I was not summoned by the Dark Lord last night, you can check with Professor Dumbledore, I tell him each time I'm called and then relay the information to him. I had no previous knowledge of this event, and I had no control over it."

There was a moment of silence and he saw her lip quiver.

"You-you didn't do that?" she said looking at the paper.

"No, Miss Granger, I did not."

And with that, she buried her face in her hands and he watched nearly horror struck as her body shook with silent sobs. With nothing else to do, he pulled out his own handkerchief, and handed it to her across the desk. She blindly reached for the material, making sure to hide her face from him at all times. Quickly she wiped her eyes and took calming breaths.

"Whose…" she sniffed. "Whose side are you really on?"

He looked at her frame, suddenly looking frailer than he could ever remember, and he couldn't bring himself to be vague with her.

"I am with Dumbledore."

"Are you lying?"

"No."

Holding out her hand, she was offering his handkerchief back, but he held up his hands.

"Keep it, you need it more than I do." he said gruffly.

She took a deep breath and turned her eyes toward the ceiling allowing him to see her face clearly. Her eyes were violently red and puffy, and her nose was red also. Her face which had been so pale all day was blotchy and she still didn't meet his eyes.

"Did you eat yet, Miss Granger?" he asked.

"No, I haven't." she said.

"Would it bother you much to eat here?"

"No." she replied quietly, smiling slightly.

With a snap of his fingers, a house elf appeared, and he ordered two plates of whatever they were serving in the Great Hall. An awkward silence fell over them.

"I'm sorry for coming in here like this." she eventually said.

"Has this been what's been bothering you since this morning?" he asked still staring at her.

"Well, no, but when Ron showed me the paper when we came into class…I remember seeing the mark on your arm and I just thought that…"

She raised her teary eyes to his face, finally.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

He saw the large dark bags under her eyes and how she was slightly slumped in the chair.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" he blurted out, ignoring her apologies.

Her eyes immediately dropped and she began stumbling over her answers, none of them making much sense.

"Granger." Severus said sternly.

"I-I didn't." she finally muttered.

"You mean you didn't sleep at all?" he growled.

"I was afraid!" she cried ringing her hands together. "You-you said that my defenses were practically gone, and I knew that if he decided to look into my head, he'd see you and how you were giving me lessons to block him from my thoughts! He would have seen that you were preventing him from getting information that he wanted, so I kept myself awake so he couldn't see you."

He paused for a moment as she clenched her hands together in her lap. Severus knew he should yell at her. It was an extremely foolish thing to do, regardless if she had done it to protect him.

"You are not to do so again, do I make myself clear?"

Her eyes snapped up to his face.

"But-I-I was trying to help you."

"I'm well aware of the fact, Miss Granger, but it is not your job to make sure I am safe."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times but the house elf reappeared then with their plates consisting of chicken and potatoes.

"Anything else, sir?" the elf squeaked.

"No, that will be all."

And with a crack the elf disappeared. The two ate in silence, not bothering to look up at one another. She finished before him, sitting with her head lowered.

"Why do you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?" he said pushing his plate away.

"Why do you spy for Dumbledore?"

"I owe him."

"But you could die!"

"I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions."

"You-you-"

"Spit it out, Miss Granger."

"You are incredibly frustrating!" she snapped standing up.

"Thank you so much for the kind words." he said sarcastically, piling up some paperwork on his desk.

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Well you can't." he barked becoming angry.

"I could if you let me."

"How do you propose to 'help me', Miss Granger?"

"Well, I-I don't know."

"Miss Granger, you can't always be the hero."

"Oh, don't start with this hero stuff again."

He didn't reply because the moment the words left his mouth, the Dark Mark began to burn. His eyes lifted to her face, and as if he had transferred his thoughts to her, her face paled.

"He's calling you, isn't he?"

Severus jumped up, cleared his desk and ordered her from the room. His heart was beating quickly and he felt some perspiration form on his forehead.

"Go." he snapped pushing her from his office.

"I don't want to!"

"Get out! Now!"

He slammed the door in her face and immediately headed to the fireplace. He stepped into the flames and ordered in a clear voice: "Malfoy Manor!"

The meeting was the usual. Choosing who the next people to die, who'd have the most impact on the wizarding world and so on. Of course, after three hours, the conversation turned to Harry Potter.

"I cannot continually attempt to breach their minds every day, it take far too much energy and the distance is much too far. The boy's mind is worthless. The Mudbloods, though…there is something there that's intriguing, but I have yet to discover what that is."

Severus swallowed as his hands became clammy. The group hissed at the mention of the girl, and Severus kept his head lowered as if he was deep in thought.

"But what does our dear Severus have to say?" the Dark Lord suddenly asked.

Severus raised his eyes, and found everyone in the room staring at him. Clearing his throat and acting like he could care less about what he was being asked, he began to feed the Dark Lord false information. He told him anything that wouldn't directly condemn him, or Granger. He found himself treading lightly where she was concerned. If he gave the Dark Lord any hint that Granger could be useful in anyway, he would be giving her a death sentence. Severus made sure to keep his mental barriers strong so the Dark Lord wouldn't know he was practically lying through his teeth.

Once the information was passed along, Severus was chosen to participate in the regular torture that went on at the meetings. The Dark Lord stood above him, hitting him with spell after spell, just to remind the others of what could potentially happen if they were to disobey him. After the nightly games were over, Severus climbed unsteadily to his feet as the others began climbing into the fireplace to return home. Never more had he wanted the comfort of his classroom. In a whirl he was flying and the minute his feet hit solid ground, he toppled forward into his classroom, feeling the pain consuming him. What he certainly didn't expect was to hear a girl scream.

"Professor! What-what happened to you?"

He felt her hands on his arm, trying to turn him over, and he complied with her wishes. He wasn't surprised at Miss Granger's gasp of horror; he could only imagine what he looked like. She went to touch his chest, where his robes were burned along with his skin, and he instantly stopped her by snatching her wrists.

"Don't touch." he gritted out from between his teeth.

"You need to see Madame Pomfrey." she said still staring at him.

"No." he groaned in pain.

"But sir-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the fireplace erupted green flames and Dumbledore walked into the room. Severus allowed his head to touch the floor as he finally relaxed and released her wrists.

"Professor! I don't know what-"

"I know Miss Granger; everything is fine, just be sure not to touch the burns. It's a particularly violent curse, one created by Voldemort. Once it touches an object, it continually burns. A very painful way of dying." Dumbledore said looking over Severus for any more injuries.

"He's-he's dying?" she squeaked out.

"No, I'll be able to stop the curse, as soon as we remove him from the room."

Severus sat up careful not to touch the burns. Both Dumbledore and Granger pulled him to his feet and Dumbledore held most of his weight.

"Wouldn't it be easier to put him on a stretcher?"

"Severus doesn't like to be helped, rather proud of himself, I dare say."

Granger went to take his other arm, but he gently pushed her away. She looked up into his eyes and he shook his head, telling her silently not to touch him. He didn't want her to accidently touch the curse. Instead she began ringing her hands together nervously.

"Miss Granger, if you will be so kind as to get the door." Dumbledore said.

She immediately ran down an aisle in the classroom and threw opened the door. He gritted his teeth as Dumbledore pulled his arm over his shoulder and placed a supporting arm around his waist. Dumbledore usually helped him down into his chambers when things like this happened. He was curious as to why Miss Granger was in his classroom at such an hour, but the pain quickly pushed the thought from his mind. They finally reached the hallway and Miss Granger had lit her wand, becoming the only source of light they had.

"Where are we going, Professor?" she asked Dumbledore but her eyes kept flickering to Severus.

"To the dungeons." Dumbledore answered.

She immediately set off ahead of them as the burning spread on his torso causing him to groan. He watched the light at the tip of her wand bobbing with her motions as her damp hair hung down her back. Steadily she made her way down to the dungeons as the temperature became cooler and cooler with each step. The cool air felt good against his burns which were steadily becoming worse. When they reach the dungeons, she stopped, not knowing where to go from here.

"Keep straight ahead, Miss Granger, until you see the portrait of the knight."

She did as she was told. When they finally reached the portrait, Severus gave a deep sigh. Dumbledore waved his wand, and nothing happened.

"Miss Granger, reach behind the frame and tap the nail three times."

She looked at him oddly for a moment before reaching behind the frame and fumbling for a few minutes. The door clicked open and she climbed through holding the door open for them as they stepped through. The room was pitch-black and the moment they entered, the torches sprang to life. Severus saw her take a quick glance around and he realized that this was the first time a student has ever been in his chambers. Dumbledore walked passed her and straight into the bedroom. Severus instantly grappled for the bed and threw himself down on his back with a groan of pain. Dumbledore only lit one torch in the room, and for that Severus was grateful. Dumbledore's face was deathly serious, but instead of focusing on him, Severus turned his eyes to the scared young woman standing with her back against the wall. With his wand, Dumbledore peeled is robes away and then vanished them all together.

"There was no mending them." Dumbledore said noticing his frown, now working on the shirt which was painfully sticking to his burnt skin.

He growled in pain, but Dumbledore took no notice, instead turning to Granger.

"Hermione, cast a silencing charm on the room, please."

She did as she was told with a shaking hand and quiet mutterings with a quavering voice. Dumbledore patiently waited until she turned back around.

"If you want, you can leave if it's too much for you." he said gently to her.

"No, I'll stay." she said as her eyes flickered to Severus.

Her face had no color left in it and her eyes didn't look as if they could get any wider. Dumbledore returned to his task and began once again peeling his shirt away and all he could think about was the pain. Finally, when he thought the pain couldn't get any worse, it stopped. He was left breathing heavily with a light sheen of sweat over his body. Severus avoided looking at his burns, knowing they would look horrible, not to mention the horrified look on Granger's face as she stared at his bare chest. Dumbledore began the healing process and Granger stared on. She pulled out her wand again and walked around to the other side of his bed before pointing it at his face.

"You-you've got blood on your face." she said as Dumbledore continued his healing.

He gave a short nod.

"Scourgify." she whispered and he instantly felt the dried blood vanish from his face.

Her hand dropped limply to her side, and he turned his face away from her. He didn't want her pity. It was bad enough that he was half undressed in front of her. Dumbledore finished his healing with a sigh.

"A good night's rest and you should be good as new tomorrow."

Severus didn't need to be told twice as his eyes slipped closed and his body gave itself over to the deep sleep he'd been refusing it. Something was suddenly placed over him, and Severus allowed his eyes to open and see Miss Granger conjuring a blanket. He didn't say anything, but allowed sleep to pull him under.

* * *

><p>Hermione stood for a second longer, staring down at her Defense teacher feeling incredibly sad for him. His face was paler than she could remember and his eyes looked sunken, his face drawn with stress.<p>

"Come, we'll leave him be." Dumbledore said quietly.

The two left the room and began heading out of the dungeons. Hermione's thoughts were racing and she had so many questions to ask, but she didn't know how to begin asking them. They continued walking until they reached the stairs.

"Miss Granger, I must ask you to refrain from speaking to anyone about this." he said looking at her very seriously, indicating that she shouldn't tell Harry and Ron.

"I won't say anything sir, but-"

"This is Professor Snape's business, Miss Granger."

"But he's getting hurt!"

"Yes, but he feels like he needs to make up for his past."

"But that's so-so…I don't know." she sighed.

"Good night, Miss Granger, get some rest." he said giving her a smile before disappearing.

She made her way up the stairs and to her bed but she was far from tired. All Hermione could do was see the image of the raw and burnt skin on Snape's bare chest. Not to mention all of the scars covering his body. She blushed as she thought about how she so blatantly ogled him, and he was surprisingly fit beneath the menacing black robes he always wore. Quickly she shoved the thought to the back of her mind because the worry was more potent. Even though she was upset about what had happened, the night of no sleep quickly won over, and she was sound asleep in minutes. Thankfully it was the weekend seeing as Hermione slept all through breakfast the next day. She spent nearly all day making up work and trying to get a head start on other assignments so things wouldn't build up.

"Hey, Hermione." Harry said taking the seat next to her with his work.

"Hello." she replied as Ron sat down with Harry.

"You've been doing work all day, Hermione, surely you can't be that far behind." Ron mentioned.

"I've been busy." she said avoiding their eyes.

"How are those lessons with Snape going?" Harry asked with a hint of bitterness.

"Excellent, actually." she said brightly, ignoring his tone.

"I bet he's been bloody horrible." Ron muttered.

"No, Ronald, he hasn't been 'bloody horrible' to me."

"You're not actually saying he was nice." Harry snapped.

"Why do you have to say it like that?" she hissed raising her eyes to his face.

"Because Snape is a greasy git whose job is to make our lives miserable."

"For your information, he's been very helpful, and hasn't been all that nasty to me."

"You've got to be joking, Hermione! We are talking about Snape, aren't we? How can you even say that?" Ron said.

"I've learned loads, thank you very much, and maybe if you applied yourself, you'd learn something too!" Hermione hissed at Ron.

"How can you spend so much time with him? Don't you get sick of looking at him?" Harry asked.

"Occlumency isn't a one-time deal, Harry, there needs to be constant practice and concentration, even a few hours a night isn't enough."

"You mean you'd want to spend _more_ time with him?" Ron asked with wide eyes.

"Ron, this is about keeping Voldemort out of our minds, the least you can do is deal with a teacher you don't like." Hermione said ignoring the wince that Ron gave when she said Voldemort.

"I don't like him in my head, it was creepy." Ron muttered.

"You get used to it after a while."

The two boys remained silent. Hermione huffed and buried herself in school work until a tapping at the glass pulled her away. Harry let the owl in, and it immediately landed on Hermione's books before sticking its leg out. She pulled the scroll free and the owl darted to the window, but didn't leave. Spreading it out on her lap, neat cursive met her eyes.

_Miss Granger,_

_I am writing to inform you that our lessons will stop for the time being. I will notify you when they will resume._

_Severus Snape_

She read the note over several times to make sure she had read correctly. Hermione instantly knew that the cause of this was what happened last night. Either he was too weak to teach her, or he was simply avoiding her. Clearly they had overstepped bounds. Well, she did. She kept pushing and pushing for lessons and was witness to him at his weakest because she couldn't leave well enough alone. But still, he needed help. He was being thrown around like a chess piece. She didn't care what he _thought_ he owed to anyone! She pulled out a piece of parchment as the others stared at her.

_Professor Snape,_

_I received your note. I am sorry for the intrusion last night, but I don't regret it. I told you I would help, and I did. If I can be of any more help, send an owl._

_Hermione Granger_

She jumped up and attached the note to the owl's leg, telling it to deliver the note to Professor Snape. Hermione stood and watched the owl soar away before turning back to her work.

"Well, are you going to explain what that was all about?" Ron asked.

She looked up at the two who were anxiously staring at her awaiting an answer. Hermione hated more than anything in the world having to lie to her best friends and withhold information.

"I'm not allowed to say." she muttered.

"Come on, Hermione." Ron begged.

"I can't, I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't say anything."

When Ron kept bugging her, she scooped up her things and went to the library to work in silence. But when she got there, she couldn't focus on her assignments. Hermione stared at the books around her and finally shoved her own work aside before browsing the selections. Could Snape have entered into an agreement with Dumbledore? Something he couldn't get out of? She pulled all of the books she could on magical agreements. For hours she poured over books and came up with nothing that could help her. Hermione's mind then drifted to Legilimency. Immediately she jumped up and pulled every book on Legilimency she could possibly find. She wasn't surprised when she learned close to nothing on the subject. By the end of the day, she had completed her homework and other assignments but learned nothing else on the things she was researching.

A week went by and Snape didn't show to lessons or meals. Hermione anxiously waited for a response to her note, but did not receive one. He was very clearly ignoring her and as the days went by, she became more frustrated. Spending most of her free hours in the library, Hermione wasn't getting anywhere fast.

A Quidditch match was set for Saturday morning, and the school was buzzing. But Hermione had a plan in her mind as she made her was down to the field with a book in hand. They all clambered into their seats as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff strolled across the field. As the game started, she buried her head in her book, not paying any attention to the game. Often, she was interrupted by Ron and Harry's lingo and commentary on the game. Lifting her eyes, she located Professor McGonagall easily, but her mouth fell open as she viewed black robes and a sinister scowl beside her. Hermione had not bargained for this. Nevertheless, she was not going to be stopped. Taking a deep breath, she snapped her book shut and stood.

"Alright?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I'm not feeling well; I think I'll go back inside after talking to Professor McGonagall for a moment."

And before they could question her again, she made her way to the stairs and then to the ground. She ran to the teacher's stand and up the stairs before skidding to a halt beside Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall, I was hoping to talk to you about something." she said breathlessly.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here and why are you so out of breath?"

"Well, I'm not feeling well, and I was wondering if you could perhaps write me a note for the Restricted Section in the library?"

"Why on Earth would you need a note?"

"I thought I'd look up some advanced Transfiguration. I was reading in our textbooks about turning rather large animals into furniture, and I wanted to learn more, but the books I need are in the Restricted Section."

"If you're not feeling well, then I suggest you go to the Hospital Wing."

"Oh, it's nothing, really, I'd just like to read for a little while."

McGonagall studied her with a harsh scowl and Hermione began to get nervous.

"Please, Professor?" she finally pleaded.

"Oh, alright, but I'm only allowing it because you've mastered everything we've been doing in class already." she said.

Hermione smiled gratefully at her and pulled out the piece of parchment she had folded in her book. McGonagall conjured a quill out of thin air and quickly scribbled down a few sentences. Hermione glanced up and found Professor Snape's eyes intently focused on her, but she calmly looked down as McGonagall handed her the piece of paper.

"Thank you, Professor." she said before darting back to the stairs.

The minute she touched the grass, she sprinted back to the school as fast as she could. Finally, she ran into the library as Madame Pince glared at her. Hermione with a sweet smile handed her the note and the woman looked sternly at her.

"Just make sure you put everything back exactly as you found it." she snapped handing the note back.

Hermione nodded and made her way to the Restricted Section. In minutes she had stacks of books in front of her making sure Madame Pince wasn't walking around. If Hermione didn't have Transfiguration books in front of her, she'd be in big trouble. Pulling book after book in front of her, she found the passages she needed and left them opened so she could go back and reread them. Hermione hadn't even bothered to take a seat because she was so anxious. Tugging at her hair, she began reading up on magical bondage, coming across the Unbreakable Vow. The more she read, the more scared she became. Once she reached the part where the person would die if the vow was broken, she tossed the book aside tugging at her hair rather violently.

Deciding that she didn't want to read about the vows anymore, she grabbed the books on Legilimency. She carefully read each passage, determined to have a fairly good idea of how to perform it before she left the library. Picking up the book, she began pacing around the floor while mumbling out loud to herself. From the looks of things, the task wouldn't be too hard to accomplish. As she turned around, she suddenly crashed into something. Looking up quickly, she found two dark eyes studying her.

"Oh, er, hello, Professor," she said darting towards the table and trying to grab all the books before he had a chance to look at them.

But the effort was futile as three of the books went sailing straight into his hands.

"Let's see what you're so keen on learning, shall we?" he said, clearly knowing that she wasn't looking at and Transfiguration books.

As his eyes ghosted over the titles, his face became hard as stone. Hermione gathered up the rest of the books and poured them into her bag. She wanted to make a run for it, but he suddenly looked up at her.

"What are you doing with these?" he hissed.

"Personal research." she said staring easily back at him.

He tossed the books onto the table with a large snap making her jump.

"You are not to practice Legilimency."

"I can practice whatever I please."

"It is too dangerous without the proper teachings!"

"No one will teach me! I need to learn this, for Harry and Ron." she said replied.

"And what of the magical bonds?"

"I-I just heard of them in passing and was interested in them."

"Oh, yes, perhaps in your Transfiguration book?" he said sarcastically.

"Well I couldn't ask you for a note or ask you any questions because you've spent the whole week trying to avoid me as much as humanly possible!" she cried grabbing the books and darting towards the gates that separated the Restricted Section from the rest of the library.

His hand enclosed over her forearm pulling her to an abrupt stop. Hermione clutched the books tightly to her chest as if she were trying to prevent some sort of blow to her person.

"I was instructed by Professor Dumbledore to stop our lessons."

"Why?" she asked raising her eyes to his face.

"He said that I needed to take a break because I was causing worry amongst my students, and that certain…relationships were…getting out of hand."

She lowered her eyes as her face began to heat up. Hermione knew that she was the only person worried for him. She looked back up to his face and studied him.

"Well you don't look as bad as you did before." she mentioned ignoring the last part of his statement.

His lip lifted slightly as he released her arm.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, for your kind words." he said with a sarcastic tone.

"Has…has _he_ called you this week?"

His face became strained as his eyes darted around looking for any people nearby.

"No, he hasn't."

"Well…that's a good thing." she said squeezing the books a little tighter as she made her way back toward the exit.

Hermione was completely surprised that Snape fell into step with her. They left the library together wandering throughout the halls until she finally pulled to a stop.

"Why aren't you watching the game?" she suddenly asked.

"I knew you were up to something that you shouldn't have been doing, and-" he cut himself off looking suddenly awkward.

"You were interested." she finished for him.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did show up." he snapped glaring down at her.

"What I do on my own time is no one else's business." she snapped as she began walking again.

"Miss Granger, it does concern me as it is my subject." he said falling back into step with her.

"No it does not because you won't teach me."

"Professor Dumbledore suggested that you only learn Occlumency."

"Probably because you told him I couldn't handle it!" she snapped as the magic in the air began to crackle.

"I never said that!"

"Then why won't you teach me!?" she yelled turning on him.

"These things never have a good purpose! Never has Occlumency or Legilimency been used for anything good!"

A stone statue that was near them suddenly exploded, but neither took notice of the chunks of stone that rolled passed them.

"I want to use it for something good! I want to help protect my friends!"

"You are putting yourself in danger!" he roared.

"I don't care!" she yelled as a forceful wind began to stir due to her anger. "I don't care," she suddenly said losing all of the force behind the words. "I need to teach Harry how to protect himself, he's the one that can stop this all and save us. He's the important one here, and if I have to put myself in danger to make sure he is safe, I am more than willing to do that. Sneer at me for being such a Gryffindor, but if I have to teach myself, if I have to nearly kill myself while doing it, I will do it. As long as my friends are safe, nothing else matters."

She lowered her eyes to the ground as tears began to fill her eyes. Not knowing what else to do, Hermione turned on her heel and stormed away. She'd teach herself if it was the last things she did. The rest of the day she spent pouring over the books she had taken out from the library, and after three hours, she was no farther in understanding anything.

At seven, after skipping dinner, Hermione left her room and went down into the common room where she found Harry and Ron sitting by the fire. Taking a seat, Ron turned to her with a scowl.

"This came for you." he snapped.

She took the small piece of parchment from his hands and quickly read over the words written in a familiar hand.

_Be in my office at eight o' clock._

Ron made a scoffing noise and Hermione raised her eyes from the paper.

"What, Ron?" she finally asked.

"Every time he calls you, you go running off like a dog."

"He's busy, Ron, if you haven't remembered that he's involved in the Order," she whispered under her breath. "So he tells me what time he is free."

"Whatever." Ron muttered sinking down in his chair.

"Why does it bother you so much?" she asked.

"You spend way too much time with him locked up in that room. What about us, Hermione? You barely even look at us!" he cried.

When Ron said 'us', it sounded more like he was worried about the fact that Hermione wasn't spending time with him. She lowered her eyes to avoid to subject of her and him.

"Hermione, you better get going or you're going to be late." Harry said shooting Ron a look before giving her a smile.

"Ok, I'll…I'll see you guys later then." she said before leaving the common room.

The hallways were fairly deserted so she could bury herself in her thoughts. She didn't want to go through this with Ron, not at all. They were great friends, but anything more…Hermione couldn't see it. She had liked him once, but when he started seeing Lavender Brown, it had nearly crushed her. And he was so rude when she was with Viktor. His jealousy was out of hand sometimes. Hermione reached the classroom early, but she didn't care. Approaching the office door, she knocked and awaited a reply.

"Enter."

She pushed opened the door and found Professor Snape hunched over a tattered book with his glasses on. Hermione closed the door softly and turned to face him.

"You're nearly a half hour early." he said without looking up at her.

"I had nothing else to do." she replied taking a seat.

"The famous Miss Granger had nothing to do?" he said finally sitting up. "I find that hard to believe."

She glared at him before turning her eyes away to avoid his probing eyes. Hermione looked at the objects that were placed around the room; most of them she had never seen before.

"I believe we should have a small discussion before we start."

She turned her eyes to his face and instantly saw that he had taken his glasses off and was suddenly extremely serious.

"Miss Granger, I was specifically asked by Professor Dumbledore to not give you lessons anymore because he seemed to think that things were becoming inappropriate."

"How could he?" she asked.

"Perhaps your theatrics the other night were a bit much for him." he said staring at her.

"What, so I'm not allowed to be worried?"

"No, not for a teacher the rest of the school hates."

"That's not the point." she mumbled before looking away.

"And you defending me every chance you get does not help the matter."

"You shouldn't be endangering yourself to repay something that happened in your past, it's not right!"

"What I do is none of your business."

"Well, I-I…" she cut herself off feeling extremely embarrassed.

"Do continue, Miss Granger."

She shook her head.

"Would you rather show me?"

Lifting her eyes to his, she studied him for a few moments before nodding her head. He slowly pulled out his wand and wordlessly cast the spell. Hermione could instantly feel him in her head, but he wasn't as violent as he usually was. He was simply sitting there, waiting patiently and calmly for her memories. Taking a deep breath, she began pulling the memories and emotions forward.

First, she pulled the memories of his pale and strained face. Then, followed with an image of herself, forcing herself to stay awake, thinking of how dangerous it would be if the Dark Lord found out about Snape giving her lessons. Then she pulled forward the image of herself crying in his office when she learned that he had not killed those people in the paper, making sure to let him feel the relief, the bone numbing relief, she felt that day. Then she flashed him images of how he looked the night after his meeting with the Dark Lord, the skin peeling from his chest and him growling in pain. For a moment, she projected the emotions that were flooding through her at that moment. Fear, anger, and worry beyond anything she had every felt before. Finally, she showed him the image of her pouring over books and she saw his eyes widen in realization. When he finally pulled slowly, almost regretfully, out of her mind, she lowered her eyes to her lap.

"I-I dream about that night, after the meeting, almost every night." she admitted.

"This is why Professor Dumbledore forbids me to teach you any longer." he said hoarsely.

"Why, because I care?" she snapped harshly.

"That's exactly why!" he hissed.

"Well I can't exactly decide to stop caring!"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Snape's face looked pale, and she felt nervous.

"I cannot teach you Legilimency."

"Why not?"

"Do not ask questions!" he barked.

"It's because I worry about you, isn't it? Well, who wouldn't? You're practically throwing yourself at You-Know-Who and no one seems to see the problems in this!"

"There is not a problem with this, I owe Albus my life, and I am prepared to repay him any way I can." he said still not looking at her.

"Doesn't he value your life?"

"No," he said with a sardonic smile. "No one values my life."

"Well, I do," she said squaring her shoulders and staring him full in the face. "You may not like it, Professor Dumbledore may not like it, but that's just too bad."

He stared at her for a long moment, and not a sound could be heard in the room.

"The last person who cared for my life was killed." he said with no trace of emotion.

"I'll take my chances." Hermione replied knowing full well he was talking about Harry's mother.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"

"Must be a Gryffindor thing." she muttered.

"Must be." he muttered gazing into space, apparently captivated in a memory.

She waited patiently for him to pull out of his thoughts. Finally, his eyes refocused and he gazed at her harshly.

"No one is to know that you come to this room, not even those friends of yours, do you understand? No one can know that we are in here, especially Professor Dumbledore. He cannot know that I am giving you Legilimency lessons."

She nodded, keeping her expression solemn.

"There can be serious repercussions if Dumbledore should find out about these lessons."

"I won't breathe a word."

"Good, go out into the classroom and get ready." he said putting some papers away.

She did as she was told. He joined her a few minutes later pulling off his teaching robes and firmly standing in front of his desk with a cold glare. Snape began to explain to her the basics of Legilimency and she listened intently, drinking in every word.

"Now, attempt to breach my mind." he said as he tensed his body slightly.

"Now?" she asked startled.

"Can you understand English? I believe that's the language we speak."

She gave a nervous smile in return and pointed her wand at him. Taking a deep breath, she muttered the incantation. The moment she was in his mind, she felt the oppressiveness which threatened to smother her. Hermione tried to move around, looking for anything, but she found nothing but walls surrounding her. Immediately she began to attack them, repeatedly slamming into them trying to find a weak spot, but he did not flinch. A few more minutes of her pointless attacks passed before he finally broke eye contact.

"That was pitiful." he said evenly.

"Well you have a damn fortress in there!"

"I have to; the Dark Lord's abilities far outweigh my own."

"How do I get by them?"

"That is something you need to figure out on your own."

They spent nearly two hours together with Hermione bashing into the walls that never so much as budged half an inch. She finally gave up seeing as both were exhausted from her constant attacks.

"Be here at the same time tomorrow." he said before dismissing her.

She left the room, and headed to bed, anxious to finally get a good night's rest. When Hermione finally climbed into bed, she couldn't be happier. Crookshanks joined her on the bed, where his tail gently brushed over the back of her hand, barely touching. The touch was almost tender. An idea suddenly sprung into her head, and she found herself anxious to try Legilimency again tomorrow.


	5. Memories

**Hey guys,**

**It's 11:40 right now...still Tuesday, but not by much. Seriously, I just realized that it was Tuesday. I've been through a rough couple of days. **

**Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, they really make my day.**

**Read and enjoy. I know this chapter is a little shorter, actually, its the shortest so far, I thought I'd give you break from the monster chapters I've been posting.**

* * *

><p>As soon as dinner ended, Severus Snape headed straight for his classroom knowing that Miss Granger would be early considering that she was currently fighting with the red-head and anxious to learn Legilimency.<p>

Sure enough, as soon as he began heading down the corridor, she was casually strolling down the hallway with her nose in a book. Sighing deeply, he quickened his pace to the door and slammed it open. His eyes immediately darted down the hallway, and then down the other way, making sure that no one was near. Of course they wouldn't be here, most of Hogwarts tended to avoid his classroom.

Severus turned his eyes to the witch that was still taking her time walking down the hallway. Rolling his eyes, he had to hold himself back from grabbing her and throwing her into the room. Finally, she walked close enough so he could talk.

"Get in and stop making a show of yourself." he snapped.

Granger sighed deeply and closed her book with a snap before storming into the classroom and flinging the book on a desk. He closed the door with a slam before flinging off his teaching robes and rubbing his face.

"You're intelligent enough so I don't have to go over what we learned yesterday." he said with a sigh.

He looked up to see her standing in front of him, ready to go. Severus didn't think that he had the strength to do the lesson today, but he was sucking it up so Granger didn't throw a temper tantrum.

"Well, let's get on with it."

She muttered the incantation and he felt her enter his head. Severus couldn't say he didn't enjoy her being in his head, it was rather comforting. Granger radiated warmth and wisdom, allowing him a moment to simply relax. Usually when someone was trying to read his mind it was violent and vicious. She didn't seem in a particular rush today, taking her time feeling how far his walls would allow her to go. He felt his eyebrows knit together after a few minutes feeling her completely nonaggressive nature. What on Earth was she doing? And what was going on behind those gorgeous brown eyes?

It was then that he felt it, felt her tentatively brush against his shield, as if she were testing him. He looked into her eyes, and saw nothing but…tenderness? No one had ever looked at him like that, no one except for…Lily. He knew that his eyes widened to a considerable size. Again she reached out, putting more pressure on his shield, dragging her fingers delicately across each wall. She was almost caressing the walls as a person would caress their lover's body. As that thought struck him, the years he had spent building the impenetrable shields, were suddenly wasted as they came crashing down around him.

The memories he had held dear and kept private for so long came rushing out like a dam that had just burst. Most of them were about Lily. He once again saw the red hair and the green eyes he was forced to look at each time he looked at Potter. Once again he was forced to witness his own humiliation, calling Lily a Mudblood, and then begging for the forgiveness that she refused to give him. Then he recalled the rest of the memories where she would act as she was part of Potter's gang and humiliate him more than she could have possibly realized.

Then he played the day he had received their wedding invitation in the mail, feeling as if the world had just ended and he no longer had a reason to live. The memory of the wedding came forward then, but he didn't go to the wedding. Instead, he had spent the day drinking until he was passed out on the floor.

And the crying, the guttural sobbing that was racking his form throughout some of the memories made him cringe. They made him sick to his stomach.

The next memory was of him standing in front of the now destroyed cottage where their bodies had already been extracted from. The wreckage was more than he could take. He had collapsed to the pavement and screamed himself hoarse. She was dead because of him. She was dead because of him.

Severus tore his eyes away from the brown pools of warmth that were now filled to the brim with tears. He had never shown, or told anyone about those memories, never. They were private. He had stored them in a place where not even he could access them. And now the pain was fresh, the ache in his chest, the buzzing in his head, and the nearly crushing guilt that forced him to grab onto his desk for support.

Those green eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that were filled with so much hate for him.

He felt the sweat form on his brow and his fingers began to ache with the force of grasping the desk. The world was spinning around him, and he couldn't make it stop. His past had just crashed down on him in one violent wave.

A muffled sound began to slowly pull him away from the mindless buzz in his head, a sound he recognized as crying. Severus looked through his parted hair, over his arm at the girl who had fallen into a desk and was now covering her eyes and taking deep shaking breaths.

In a flash, a flood of anger rushed through him, and with a feral growl, he sent everything on his desk flying off and onto the floor. He heard the desk behind him scrape violently across the floor, but he made no notice. Instead, he turned the nearest thing he could find, a student's desk, before flipping it with a yell.

"Professor!?"

He turned to another desk and flipped it with another yell that reverberated off of the stone walls.

"Professor! Please!" the frightened girl yelled.

He went to go grab for another desk, but the desk turned into a pile of blankets. He went for another one, but that turned into a pile of sweaters.

"Professor, stop!" the girl screeched.

He froze, breathing heavily with his hands clenched at his sides. He wanted to break things, violently smash them against the stone wall. Severus smashed his back violently into the stone wall before allowing himself to fall to the floor. He gripped his hair roughly and tugged at it, wanting to cause himself the most pain he possibly could. Severus could hear the girl's heavy breathing from across the room, but he kept tugging at his hair hoping for something, but not knowing what.

He heard soft footsteps approaching him, but he was still tugging at his hair, trying to forget everything he had just witnessed. All the years he tried to forget her, and he had gotten nowhere.

"Professor?"

Severus remained frozen, still with his hands viciously tangled in his hair. Something warm touched his hands and he recoiled immediately. He didn't want her pity, he didn't want her sympathy. He wanted to be left alone.

"Get out." he whispered hoarsely.

"No, I'm not going to leave you." she said resolutely.

He didn't have the strength to reply, or to force her out of the room. Instead, he focused on his breathing, trying to return it to a somewhat normal pace. Again he felt something warm touch his hands, and he felt the warmth trying to pry his fingers from his hair. He let the warmth do what it wanted. His hand fell limply to his lap, and he didn't attempt to move them again. Severus witnessed Miss Granger pulling her hands away from him before sitting down in front of him, crossed legged and silent.

For minutes on end, they remained silent, and he refused to look at her.

"That was Lily Potter?" she asked gently.

"Evans, her maiden name was Evans." he muttered quietly.

"You…you loved her, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Another moment of silence. He knew that she was testing him, seeing how far he would let her in.

"You called her…"

"A Mudblood, yes." he snapped coldly.

"I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter."

"But, you asked her to forgive you?"

"Yes, and she didn't, obviously."

"Why?"

"Because I insulted her and she decided not to!"

"I don't see why, you were best friends."

"And then she started going with Potter." he sneered.

"I don't understand why she didn't forgive you; it's just a name. People call me that all the time, being Muggle born and all."

"It was her decision, and I respected it."

"I think she was a little prideful, if you ask me."

He knew that he should snap at this young witch for insulting the woman he loved, but he couldn't help but smile with his head still lowered. Severus took a deep breath, and then gave a few chuckles.

"Yes, she was prideful, like you."

"But if you and I were friends, and you called me that, I wouldn't completely shut you out forever. You were just angry, and you said things that you didn't mean. Most people could understand that."

Severus couldn't help but study the young woman before him. She had drastically changed from the first time he met her. Granger was now mature, and understanding, willing to accept other's faults and shortcomings. He could tell by the look in her eye that not for one second had she judged him for his memories.

"I'm the reason she's dead." he blurted out.

"That's all in the past; you can't always live in the past. If you do, you'll have no future."

"That's all I have now, is the past." he muttered turning his face away from her.

"This…this is what you've been trying to repay all these years? This is why you're tied to Dumbledore?" she asked suddenly.

He nodded his head, but turned to look at her.

"No, I did not make an Unbreakable Vow with him, so you can return all of the books you took from the library on magical bonds."

"How did you know-"

"I put two and two together." he said with a smirk.

A silence followed, and he could see her becoming increasingly upset over something.

"I'm sorry." she finally uttered "I-I shouldn't have looked." she said lowering her eyes to her lap.

"That's what we're here for, aren't we?"

"But you never…I mean, you saw things but-"

"I hardly expect you to have the same degree of tragedy I have in my life."

They fell into silence. Severus studied her for a moment before swallowing deeply.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?" she asked lifting her eyes to his face.

"How to get by my shields?"

"I-I didn't really. Actually, Crookshanks gave me the idea."

He raised an eyebrow in questions.

"He's my cat. His tail brushed my hand, and it occurred to me that you try so hard to hide your emotions, that if someone showed you a little kindness, you'd open up to them."

Well he had to admit, she certainly was the brightest witch of her age, even if she did get the idea from a cat. Now this seventeen year old girl – woman – knew things about him that not even the Dark Lord knew. The thought made his stomach flip.

"Are you still practicing your Occlumency?" Severus asked.

"Yes, every night."

"And no dreams?"

"Not that I can remember."

"Good…good."

"Why?" she asked.

"If you were still allowing the Dark Lord access into your mind, what you just saw would cause a slight…problem for me." he said.

Severus watched as her face suddenly paled and her mouth popped opened. Granger fixed her wide eyes on his face and he kept up his stony glare.

"Oh no," she moaned dropping her head into her hands. "What have I done?"

He waited for a moment, not exactly knowing what to say to her.

"I had to be stupid and over eager, I made you teach me Legilimency, and now I have your memories and the Dark Lord can see them."

"Not if you close your mind."

She quickly snapped her eyes back to his.

"But what if I can't!? I'm-I'm not nearly as good at it as you are! What am I going to do? I-I could get you killed!"

"You just said yourself that you haven't had any more dreams."

"What if I slip up? All he needs is a single moment, and he can learn things that…oh." she ended burying her face in her hands once more.

"Miss Granger, you haven't slipped up yet, and I doubt that such a thing is going to occur in the near future." he said in a bored tone.

"I shouldn't have pushed, if something happens, it'll be my fault."

"I can assure you, you are not going to cause my death, there are far greater factors at work here, so when the time comes, you should rest assured that you are not at fault."

"What do you mean far greater factors?" she snapped harshly, lifting her head to look at him.

He looked at her with a slightly shocked expression.

"Well of course you didn't expect me to come out of this alive, did you?" he asked.

She set her jaw, probably working against the tears, before taking a deep breath.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do intend for you to be alive when this is all over."

"For heaven's sake, I'm a spy, what are the chances of me surviving?" he replied in an exasperated tone.

In a flash she had jumped up and was glaring down at him with all the fury of the world etched into her face.

"No! I am tired of hearing people say that they're going to die! Enough already! You are going to be alive, and Harry is going to be alive, and-and we're all going to be fine, so just stop!"

She stormed away from him and snatched the book from the back desk before turning on her heel.

"You shouldn't bottle up your emotions." she said with a sniff, signaling that she was indeed crying. "It's not healthy."

With that final word, she stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. Severus remained on the floor for another few hours, replaying everything that had occurred in that lesson. He found himself focusing more and more on Granger's outburst. It made him uncomfortable when she was upset, and he'd rather be staring at her when she was deep in thought. No, he quickly snapped. He shouldn't want to be staring at her at all. She was a student, he a teacher.

It was then that Severus realized how…close he and Granger had become. He had just allowed her to tell him off, and he didn't even make a move to reprimand her for her cheek. Severus quite enjoyed her company; it had become a regular routine for him, seeing her every night. Though he'd never say such a thing out loud to another living soul. She had somehow wormed her way through his cold exterior, bent on keeping the world out and his thoughts buried deep inside.

Severus jumped up and returned his room to its normal state while grumbling to himself. He needed to cut Granger out before she buried her way deeper in. His thoughts quickly flickered to Albus Dumbledore. He had warned Severus that such a thing could happen, was already happening, but Severus refused to believe it. It was her fault, he said to himself. She is the one who worries about me, not the other way around. But…he did worry about her, but not obsessively. Little thoughts about her would flash through his mind, like, was she still having dreams? Were their lessons becoming too much for her?

Severus sat down at his desk and began grading some essays, deciding to fail each and everyone just because he felt like it.


	6. Wards

**Don't kill me! I know I'm a day late!**

**I started college on Monday...and I've literally been walking around in a cloud...and I just remembered right now. So, for my little slip-up, I decided to put up a HUGE chapter, so I hope you all enjoy!**

**Please read and review, and a special shout out to krista04 for the BEST review EVER!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, he received a note from a house elf, and found Miss Granger's handwriting.<p>

_Professor Snape,_

_I'm sorry, but my work has been piling up for the past week, so I'm afraid that I can't make it to any lessons for the rest of the week._

_Hermione Granger_

Reading the note over several more times, as if waiting for the words to change, he gingerly folded the parchment up and slid it into his teaching robes, now in a worse mood than he initially was to begin with.

He spent the day barking at students, deducting house points faster than they were earned, and handing out detentions like it was Christmas time already. And by the time Granger arrived, he was on a war path. Assigning two essays due the same day, the class departed at the bell, more than half the lucky owners of a detention or two.

Severus sat at his desk for an hour or so, thinking about his life and what it would end up turning into by the time he was done repaying his debt. Of course he had fully expected to be dead, he never once doubted that. But now Severus wondered: was that what he really wanted?

The next few days past without incident, and he was determined to ignore Granger and deny her very existence, which she seemed to be doing to him. Severus found himself pleased that she had cancelled their lessons, it was high time their…acquaintance came to an end. Severus continued his usual act of ignoring her until he found her seat empty one period.

"Potter, where is Granger? I thought it impossible for the insufferable know it all to skip a class."

"She's not skipping, _sir_," he sneered. "She's in the Hospital Wing."

Severus paused for a moment as a million questions and thoughts flew through his mind at the same time. He forced his face to remain impassive, and jotted down her absence on a piece of parchment.

"Very well, she will be responsible for the work she missed."

Severus found himself distant for the remainder of the day, and once classes were over, he found himself wanting to visit the Hospital Wing, but quickly stopped himself. Such a display would do nothing for him or her. Instead, he buried himself in a difficult book on potions and spent the rest of the night translating the Latin words in the confines of his chambers.

Granger was out for the remainder of the week, but she had written him asking for the lesson material that she had missed. He, in a rather foul temper, had written back telling her to get the material from one of her friends. She had replied that she didn't trust the notes they had taken and she even told him that he could have someone else deliver the material if he was too busy to send it himself.

He was enraged to think that she believed him incapable of facing her, so he quickly gathered the material needed and stormed his way into the Hospital Wing.

He found her propped up with pillows, the only occupied bed in the room. She had what he assumed to be her textbooks scattered around her, some pilled on the floor, others opened on the bed. Pieces of parchment were thrown haphazardly everywhere and Granger was furiously scribbling what looked to be an essay. Granger had to be the only one in the school who'd do their homework in the Hospital Wing.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he quickly approached her and held out the package of papers. She pulled her large doe-like eyes from the parchment and settled them on his face. He was rather taken aback by the coldness he found in her eyes.

"Thank you, Professor." she said politely making him cringe inside.

She took the package from his hands and placed it on the nightstand next to her. Awkwardly, Granger fiddled with her quill, successfully splattering her work with ink.

"So, Miss Granger, may I ask why you're in here?" he nearly sneered.

"Nothing, just over worked, that's all."

"Overworked?" he asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes…overworked." she replied even less convincingly than she did the first time while refocusing on her essay that was now splattered with ink.

"Madame Pomfrey said I should be able to return to class on Monday."

"Very well." he said before leaving the room.

So, she was obviously still upset with him, but he couldn't let his mind focus on that because at that moment, his Dark Mark began to burn, and he instantly ran to his office and flooed to the Malfoy sat, rather bored through the meeting, not hearing anything of interest. That was until Miss Granger's name suddenly was worked into the conversation.

"Miss Granger…" the Dark Lord said deep in thought. "She could be of use to us, certainly. Being Potter's best friend, she may know things that even Dumbledore doesn't know. We just need to figure out how to get her to talk."

Severus turned his eyes around the room, suddenly seeing that Lucius was a little over eager for the topic.

"The Mudblood, my Lord, will be of infinite use to us, and I may have a way to place her in our disposal until she is no longer of need." he said bowing his head.

"Speak." the Dark Lord said in a cold voice.

"There is one way," he began, risking a glance at Voldemort's face. "Perhaps if Miss Granger was to enter into a marriage, with say, my son, she would be legally bound to him, therefore ensuring that she will always be at our disposal."

The Dark Lord stared at him, unblinkingly, and Lucius began to squirm. Gently placing his fingertips together, his red eyes flashed dangerously and Severus felt his stomach flip sickeningly.

"Dear, dear Lucius, what a plan…what a plan."

Lucius looked up hopefully but something on the Dark Lord's face made him look down.

"But, dear Lucius, you do see the problems with this plan?"

Lucius, if possible, sunk further down in his chair, as if suddenly regretting his sudden burst of bravery.

"If my memory serves me correctly, Potter, and his friends included, hate your son, so how do you purpose your son will marry the Mudblood?"

"Perhaps the...Imperius Curse?"

"And what of her parents? And teachers? You know well that she is being guarded just as much as Potter."

"Wait until she's home, or Christmas break and then snatch her and forge a letter to her parents." Lucius offered.

"And what will we do when term begins again? Someone is bound to notice the Mudblood missing."

Lucius had no response to this. The Dark Lord smiled and stroked his chin deep in thought. Everyone at the table seemed fairly bored, Lucius a little disheartened, and Severus, rigid in his seat and his heart threatening to burst from his chest.

He had to tell Albus, immediately. Granger was in more danger than he had originally thought. Thankfully, the Dark Lord didn't feel the need to torture anyone that night, and had dismissed them with a simple wave of his hands.

The instant Severus returned to the castle, he nearly sprinted to Dumbledore's office. Thankfully the man was for once in his office, and Severus quickly relayed all he had heard that night. Dumbledore remained calm throughout the entire rendition; his eyes were glazed over as he processed the information thoroughly.

Once Severus was finished, he collapsed into a chair attempting to keep his emotions in check and his face calm and collected. He watched as Dumbledore stood and walked to a bookshelf, absently tinkering with a silver object that rested on the shelf.

"Well," he finally began. "All we can do is wait."

"Wait?" Severus cried. "We are putting Miss Granger in extreme danger!"

"Voldemort has not fully decided, by what you have told me, what the plan of action is. If we do react and extract her from school early, no doubt your cover will be dissolved in an instant. So I stand by what I said before. We must wait for Voldemort to make the next move, until then, we do nothing."

Severus sat, completely floored by what Dumbledore was saying. They were knowingly putting an innocent woman in harm's way!

"At least…at least assign her more protection, something." he said knowing that he sounded like he was begging, and he was.

Dumbledore turned to him, studying him with those piercing blue eyes. Severus met his gaze evenly, not about to back down. For another silent moment, the two looked at one another, and Severus clenched his hands on the arms of his chair.

"The only thing I can remotely suggest is to keep a watchful eye on Mr. Malfoy, other than that, there isn't much else we can do without drawing attention to ourselves."

Severus nodded solemnly. Knowing Lucius Malfoy, he'd tell his son to try and get Granger anyway, just to please the Dark Lord. Now another question occurred to him, but Dumbledore suddenly spoke, giving him his answer.

"Miss Granger should not be informed of what has passed here tonight. She already has enough on her plate, and she doesn't need to worry about things that we aren't sure are true."

Severus again nodded, stood, and calmly said goodnight to the headmaster before returning to his chambers that were in the dungeon despite the fact that his classroom was halfway across the school. He welcomed the cool air, and threw open the portrait causing the knight in there to begin complaining loudly in his clattering armor.

"Oh, shut it." Severus snapped slamming the door closed.

Not ready to turn in for the night, Severus stretched out across the couch, allowing his mind to clear and his emotions to slip behind the walls he had built. Though he didn't want to sleep, he soon found his exhaustion taking over his body.

Severus spent the weekend in his chambers, reading the hours away, and waiting for another week to begin. When it finally did, Severus sighed deeply and began prepping for another week full of teaching incompetent children.

He did well to ignore Granger as if she were merely a ghost, but every time he saw her, the Death Eater meeting would flash into his mind and he had the intense urge to drag her aside and tell her everything. Meanwhile, he kept an unusually close eye on Draco, making sure he never so much as looked in Granger's direction. If he made a move, Severus would be placed in a difficult position, and would be forced to reveal his true loyalties. For Dumbledore's sake, he'd risk his own life for Granger, no matter what. Severus pledged himself to Albus, and he would be ordered to ensure her safety.

The week slowly went by, and even though he swore to stop looking at her, he couldn't help but notice how pale her face was becoming with each passing day. Another week went by, and she seemed to be getting worse and worse, making him think that she was up to something. Granger had written to him again stating that she couldn't make it to their lessons for another week because she was furiously studying for exams, but Severus was sure that wasn't the reason for her pale face and slightly sunken features.

That night, Severus remained in his office, slowly grading papers due to the fact that his thoughts were elsewhere. He looked up and noticed that some ash was on the floor in front of the fire place, and with a flick of his wand, it vanished. He must have forgotten to clean off the floor the last time he visited Dumbledore.

As the days stretched on, Granger became skinnier and paler and her two idiot friends seemed to be worried about her, and Severus once again found ash on his floor, and he had not gone out the night before. Someone was using his fireplace, and he was going to find out who. He had spent the better half of ten minutes looking at the small footprint that was present in the fireplace.

The next night, he remained in his office reading well into the night. Severus had almost given up hope when a noise in the classroom suddenly alerted him to an intrusion. Quickly he blew out the candle in front of him and sat motionless in the darkness, clutching his wand tightly. The sound of footsteps became clearer as they climbed the stairs to his office.

"Oh, no." a voice said outside the door as a crash ensued, signaling that whoever it was certainly wasn't being careful about what they were doing.

The door suddenly burst open and a person came toppling to the floor. Severus remained still and silent as the person climbed to their feet.

"I can't see a thing."

That voice.

A flick of his wrist illuminated the room.

"Hello, Miss Granger." he said quietly, his voice hard.

He watched as her eyes widened with fright at being caught breaking into his office. She said nothing with her pale face looking oddly ghostly in the candlelight. Severus looked her over, noticing she had her travel cloak on and was grasping her wand firmly in her hand. He could see the strain clear as day on her face; it was the same look he wore after speaking to the Dark Lord. It was the agony of no one knowing what he was going through, no one there to help him when he needed it. The agony of being alone and scared.

"Would you care to tell me where you've been going for the past two weeks using my fireplace?" he asked in a deadly calm voice which he could see scared her more than his anger could.

"No." she instantly said looking down at the floor.

"No?"

She shook her head.

"I think I have a right to know." he snapped.

She once again shook her head.

"If the Headmaster found out you were leaving the grounds, for any reason at all-"

"Well he hasn't found out, and I don't plan on him knowing about it anytime soon." she growled raising her eyes to his.

There was a crazed look in her usually calm and inquisitive eyes. She was bloody desperate, and Severus knew that he had to tread lightly. But instead of asking, he immediately pointed his wand at her and was flying through her head before she could so much as gasp. In her weak and panicked state, she had let her defenses crumple, allowing him easier access to her mind.

The first image he was greeted with was the Dark Lord, speaking gently to that damn snake of his.

"My pet, I'm afraid I don't know what to do. I need the Mudblood, but she won't go without a fight, that's for sure."

The snake slithered around the chair, coiling itself around its master's feet.

"Perhaps once we rid her of her parents, she'll have nowhere to go for the summer…we'd have to get her before she goes with the blood traitor and Potter."

The next image was of Miss Granger, pacing her dormitory floor, chewing her fingernails and nearly in tears. Next, she was sneaking around the hallways at night, carefully avoiding teachers and taking short cuts. When she arrived at the door, she quickly broke in and darted into his office. In a burst of green flames, she appeared at her parent's house. For hours she paced, periodically checking on them and casting wards around their room in case someone were to break in.

The next few images were her climbing into the fireplace, going to her parent's house, and watching over them until dawn began to break, forcing her to return to school for a meager two hours rest, and she would repeat the same thing over and over.

"No." she moaned crumbling against the wall, breaking away from him at last.

His eyes were fixated on her. Was she insane? Had she any idea what kind of danger she was putting herself into?

Severus waited and collected his thoughts before he began shouting half formed sentences at her.

"Miss Granger-"

"No! Please, no." she nearly begged before fleeing from the room.

He flicked his wrist, locking the classroom door. She banged her fists on the wood, quite loudly, and he knew she had to be injuring herself. Severus could hear her sobbing and followed her out to find her still fighting with the door.

"Miss Granger."

She froze but didn't turn to look at him.

"What you have been doing has been completely irresponsible."

"I don't care!"

"Well you should! You are putting more than yourself in danger because of these antics!"

"Let me out!"

He didn't make a move to release the door, and she turned on him with the fury of a tiger.

"Don't tell Dumbledore." she said, her voice full of anger and the beginnings of a threat.

"I can't make that promise."

"You already did! Remember? During our lessons!"

"But this concerns your safety, something many are trying to ensure!"

The rage that consumed her could only be described as inhuman. She whirled and faced the door before raising her wand.

"Expulso!" she screeched.

The door exploded and shattered into a million pieces across the hallway. Granger stepped over the wreckage and tore down the hallway. Severus opened his mouth to yell after her, but he didn't know what he should say. Instead, he repaired his door, and immediately went to speak to the Headmaster.

The next day, Granger was paler than usual, and when her eyes met him, she was very obviously telling him that she was furious. Later that night, he was leaving his classroom after a rather horrible batch of homework, and when he neared the end of the corridor, he turned around. When he saw her, he wasn't surprised; something had been telling him all day that she would try to make a last ditch attempt to help her parents. In a flash she had dashed inside the door, and he found himself running back to the classroom, finding the door barred. He tried once to shove his way in, then tried to unlock the door, then finally resulted in him blasting the door just as she had the night before.

By the time he had made it through the student desks she had pilled against the door (which just happened to be all of them); he knew that she had already gone upon seeing his office door ajar. He stumbled up the stairs and into the room, seeing the flames already returned to their natural state.

Severus wasn't thinking, his main focus was on that woman and her damn noble tendencies that were bound to get her killed. Looking into the fireplace, he suddenly had no idea of the address of the house. Would the floo network automatically know where he wanted to go? An invisible clock was ticking away at him, telling him that if he didn't hurry, he'd be too late. Throwing a large handful of powder into the grate, he stepped inside the filthy chimney.

"Granger residence!" he snapped.

In a whirl he was sucked from the fireplace and witnessed many other grates whip past him, none looking promising. Suddenly he came to a grate that looked as if a tornado had ripped through the wall, and figuring that was the right one, he was thrown into the room.

Instantly he was attacked by spells. Expertly dodging them, he began seeking out Granger, and a woman's scream made his heart fall to his feet. Leaving the ruined living room, he was met with an open door in the hallway, which contained a staircase leading into the basement. Severus dashed down the stairs, finding a limp body at the bottom. Dashing forward, he realized that it was a man, wearing black robes. His relief nearly made him collapse. Finally reaching the floor, he immediately began searching the room, and heard voices.

"Calm down mum, it's alright, I got him, it's fine, just breathe." a panicked voice said.

He followed the voice and finally found three people, two looking utterly frightened and the other with her back turned to him. He'd be able to tell that hair anywhere. The woman who was facing him suddenly saw him and screamed, causing Hermione to whirl around and cast a silent spell. A flick of his wrist sent the spell shot off and caused the wall near them to explode. The woman screamed again and clung to the man next to her. Her husband, perhaps.

"YOU!" Granger yelled advancing on him. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Raising her wand, she positioned it straight at his heart as footsteps could be heard above them. In rapid succession she began firing spells at him as fast as she could, but he easily deflected them until finally she stopped, out of breath, and more angry than she had been before.

"You can scream all you'd like one we're out of this."

"NO! I don't trust you! You told him! You told him what you saw!" her face seemed more strained than anything he had seen before.

"You…you betrayed me. I trusted you. I trusted you with everything."

He saw her lip begin to quiver, but the thunderous steps above snapped her back to reality. Turning back to her parents, she lowered her wand and began fidgeting.

"I…I have to cast a spell on you now…to hide you from them, okay? It won't hurt, it'll just make you invisible." she said trying to explain to them calmly but the hoarseness in her voice made them nervous.

The woman wasn't buying it in the least; the man seemed to be considering it. Severus' frustration finally got the best of him.

"If you don't listen, your daughter is going to die, do you understand? She's been through hell and back to make sure you're safe, the least you can do is trust her!"

He waved his wand, causing the door at the top of the stairs to shut and lock firmly before casting his Patronus to alert the other members. If any Death Eater saw it, they'd assume it was from Hermione.

"Death Eater's attacking Granger. Send backup immediately." he muttered before the doe darted from a window.

The Muggles remained frozen, looking at Severus like he was some sort of freak.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Granger snapped stamping her foot.

Without further explanations, she cast the spell on them, and they both flinched before becoming invisible. With another wave of her hand, piles of boxes slid around them, hiding them from view.

"Keep close to the ground." she said quietly.

The Death Eaters were all at the door, trying to break it down, but the spell held fast. Severus met her eyes evenly, and though there was fear written there, she was fiercely determined to keep her parents safe. Before either could say anything, the door at the top of the stairs exploded open, and the two instantly cowered in the shadows. If any of them saw him, his cover would be blown.

Granger seemed to realize this because the moment they paused in the shadows, she turned her wand on him and wordlessly cast a spell before he could open his mouth to protest. His muscles instantly went ridged, and she none too gracefully placed him on the ground so he was lying down.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this." she muttered before making him invisible also.

He watched as she silently slipped away from him, far enough away so he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, before attacking. He watched in his peripheral as red sparks went flying through the basement, followed then by the five Death Eater's attacking at once.

Severus waited with baited breath as he heard Granger scurrying up the stairs, he found himself waiting to hear the thud of her body hitting the ground. The five ran after her, and his gut clenched each time a pop or explosion could be heard. He was utterly helpless in this position. There was a teenage girl facing five Death Eater's alone upstairs, because he couldn't react fast enough. He heard a few cracks at once, and he knew that the Order had arrived to help her. Severus couldn't remember feeling more thankful before in his life. Another few cracks and the place went silent. He wanted to scream out, but he couldn't.

He could hear deep voices, followed by lighter ones. And then someone scrambling down the stairs, nearly falling, which he assumed was Granger. Sure enough, she approached the spot where he was at, and he heard others coming down the stairs as well.

"Professor? I'm sorry, but I can't exactly see you…so…"

She waved her wand, and he knew he had come into view because her face showed relief before she muttered the counter curse releasing his muscles. He jumped to his feet and was instantly glaring down at her.

"What were you thinking?! Five Death Eater's at once! Have you lost your mind!" he bellowed.

"If they had seen you, you would have been caught! I knew I'd be able to handle them until the Order came to help!"

She turned away and waved her wand causing the boxes that were concealing her parents to be scattered across the room, most spilling their contents. Another wave and her parents came into view, huddled and cowering on the floor.

"You guys are safe now, the Order will hide you to make sure they don't find you again." she said sounding suddenly exhausted.

She turned away and headed back up the stairs, and Severus immediately followed, leaving Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, and Arthur Weasley to deal with the parents. When he found Granger, she was in the living room, surveying the damage that had occurred to her home. Slowly, she began repairing a sofa which looked as if it had exploded.

"How did you know to be here?" he asked from the doorway.

"I put security around the house one night. If anyone with magical blood entered the boundaries, I would know. I spent hours perfecting it." she muttered absently.

"Why my fireplace?"

"You went to your meetings from there, I knew from the night that you kicked me out of your office when you were called. I assumed, for that reason, that Dumbledore wouldn't watch your floo network, so I could come here undetected,"

"You didn't need to go every night if you had the wards in place."

"I…I couldn't sleep, and that's all I thought about. I figured if someone broke in during the hours I was there, I'd be able to defend them better."

"Is that why you were in the Hospital Wing?" he snapped.

She turned to face him for a brief instant, before turning her back on him.

"I've been having flashes, flashes of what Voldemort thinks. I'm assuming that upon accessing my mind, he's made a connection that he hasn't realized yet. Even in these brief flashes, I knew he was planning something for me, me and my parents, but that one, of him talking to the snake, I woke up from that one so shaken that Harry and Ron made me go to the Hospital Wing. I researched ways that I could help protect them without interfering with their daily lives, but all I could think about were wards. That would be the only thing that could protect them in case I wasn't there. The only way I could protect them was after I got there, if they were still alive by then. I had planned to make them invisible, considering that most Death Eaters are brutal and not so bright, I figured I'd get away with it. Sorry." she said after she realized that she had just insulted the group he was still a part of.

He waved her away dismissively. "Continue."

"Well, I couldn't focus on anything but protecting my parents, and I focused nearly all of my energy on their protection. I remembered then about your floo connections, and I already had one to my house, so one night I slipped in here and left. I was sure that when I got back either you or Dumbledore would have found out that I had left, but no one was there, and no one seemed any wiser, so I dedicated a few hours a night to watch over them. They never knew."

"You left ash everywhere, that's how I knew someone was there." he said.

"Well, after a night of constant vigilance, one loses track of the details."

"This is why you cancelled the lessons?" he asked a little too passionately.

"Yes. The fact that I desperately needed that time to catch up on work and sleep, and the fact that…well, after what happened the last time, I didn't think you'd be too keen to have another lesson."

The living room looked semi-presentable, but still, anyone with a drop of magical blood in them knew that something horrible happened there.

"When you saw everything, everything I had been doing, I knew that I was in trouble. I…I was going to leave that night. Leave school and stay home with my parents. It's not like I'd be missing my education, I would just teach myself. But then the wards began going off, and I saw that as my ticket out. Thankfully you were leaving by then, and I couldn't wait for you to be all the way gone…the wards had already been going off for far too long."

"Do you realize how utterly _mental_ you are?" he snapped at her.

"Well, no one else was going to do it!"

"I told Dumbledore to watch you, and your parents, but he said it wasn't necessary."

"You…you knew?" she asked finally turning on him and meeting his eyes for the first time since they had begun this conversation.

"The Dark Lord was discussing some things with his followers, and your name came up."

"What did he say?"

Severus had walked into a trap. He couldn't tell her. He wished that he could, but Dumbledore said that it would be best that she didn't know what was going on.

"I-"

"You can't tell me." she said easily reading the look on his face but sounding a little disappointed.

"Dumbledore…"

"And does he know that I was just attacked? That my parents were just attacked?"

"He's trying to keep you safe! And you running off on your own without a member of the Order knowing is the complete opposite of what you should be doing!"

"Maybe if someone clued me in on what I should be doing, I'd be more inclined to follow directions!"

And suddenly, a thought hit him. Of course! Why hadn't he seen it before? Then again, this could be more dangerous than anything so far, but being that she needed more protection…

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked studying his face closely for a moment.

"I think you and I should talk to Dumbledore about…some things." he said heading toward the fireplace.

"What about my parents?"

"The Order will deal with them." he said in a cold tone.

"Well…" she glanced over her shoulder at the door, thinking briefely, before turning back. "Alright."

The two left together and toppled out of the fireplace before making their way to Dumbledore's office.


	7. Trust

**Hey guys!**

**Look, I remembered to post on time! Go me!**

**Well, I want to say thank you for all the amazing reviews! It makes me soooo happy, especially now that I'm in college, drowning in work.**

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Hermione sat in Dumbledore's office, listening to Snape and Dumbledore discuss her safety and her parent's safety.<p>

"Severus," Dumbledore suddenly said. "Think about the repercussions of such an action."

"Headmaster, I think the repercussions would be worse if we did not induct her."

"I'm sorry," she interrupted the two men. "But what are we inducting me into?"

The two men looked at one another for a moment longer before Dumbledore turned to her.

"Hermione, if you would like, and under Severus' advice, we would like for you to become part of the Order."

The sentence hung in the air for a long moment as she thought about this.

"Why do you think I should join?" she asked turning towards Snape.

"With you a part of the Order, we can guarantee you more safety than if you were not. We can also grant you parents more protection." he added.

She nodded and then met Professor Dumbledore's serious gaze.

"If you do this, you will certainly get more information than either Harry or Mr. Weasley, but you may be forced to pay a terrible price. Do you understand the danger you are entering into? This is not to be taken lightly."

"I understand. Can I help Harry?" she asked "I mean without telling him what I learn, can I help him?"

"I think you may be able to help him a great deal in the long run." he said giving her a look that made her feel as if she was missing out on something.

Nevertheless, Hermione left the room as a member of the Order of the Phoenix with assurances that she would be present at every meeting and that teachers would escort her. She snuck up to her bedroom and cleared her mind before falling to sleep.

The next day, Hermione did not tell her friends what had happened that night, but pretended that everything was perfectly normal. As she listened to Harry and Ron talk about their classes to one another, Hermione couldn't help but feel strongly protective of the two. Technically she was now part of the team that devoted their lives to protecting Harry. She smiled a little sadly at the thought, but eagerly ate her breakfast, anxious to be back.

The day passed without a hitch, and Hermione had already caught up on all of her work. But as nightfall came, she found herself having the sudden urge to speak with Professor Snape. Giving the boys an excuse that she had to go to the library, she slipped from the common room and headed straight for the classroom she had grown fond of. Hermione knew that he was there once she saw the light underneath the office door. Taking a deep breath, she reached the door and knocked a few time.

"Enter." said a terse voice.

She walked in and saw his eyes easily trained on her. Closing the door gently behind her, she took a seat noting the awkward silence.

"Should I bother asking why you are here?" he asked sighing.

"I just…I don't know, I wanted to come here."

He studied her for a moment, and she made sure to keep her mind shields firmly in place. Snape smirked at her.

"Very good, you've learned to shut your mind."

She gave him a half smile but clenched her hands in her lap. The two didn't say anything for a long moment, and Hermione was beginning to question herself on why she had come in the first place.

"Your parents are well cared for."

Looking up at him, she couldn't help the grateful smile that stretched across her features.

"Thank you…not only for that, but for suggesting I join the Order."

He gave her a nod, showing that he accepted her thanks.

"How have things been going? With you know what."

The tension in his muscles was a nearly instant response to her question, and Hermione began to backtrack immediately.

"I'm sorry; I don't mean to pry."

"I'm not accustomed to someone so blatantly asking me about my extracurricular activities." he said quietly.

"Professor, I still don't understand how you became part of this; I can't see you willingly joining Voldemort."

"I was stupid when I was young, I wanted to belong somewhere, and when I knew what I had done I didn't want to have any part of it. But you can't exactly walk away from being a Death Eater."

For hours the two talked casually, but Hermione made sure that she didn't test his boundaries. She wanted to let him open up to her willingly, which he seemed to be doing. Hermione found herself laughing along with Snape and his dry humor, and for once she wasn't worrying about anything that was going on around her. When the clock struck eleven, Snape stood from his chair.

"Well, we firmly exhausted just about every subject under the sun, perhaps we should turn in."

It wasn't a suggestion but more like a command. The two walked through the silent and dark classroom and through the door. They paused, awkwardly, not knowing what to say to one another.

"Er…good night Professor."

"Good night, Miss Granger."

And with that, the two turned in opposite directions and left the corridor.

For the next few weeks, Hermione would leave the common room just as dark was falling and make her way to the Defense classroom, and she always found Snape in his office, and she began thinking that he was purposely waiting patiently for her. The two would talk well into the night, and leave the corridor the same way. Hermione couldn't help herself; she nearly constantly worried about him.

Hermione also noticed more of Snape's subtleties, like how lip would lift slightly in the corner when he was trying to suppress a smile. Or the smallest shift in the dark timbre of his voice when he found something amusing, or was displeased. A muscle would work in his jaw when he found something uncomfortable. He had uniquely handsome features, if one could look past the almost constant scowl on his face.

Hermione was surprised to find how brilliant he was outside of potions. He too had been at the top of his class, excelling in every subject, and like her had constantly sought refuge in the library or buried in a large novel. She knew that he was an outcast, like her, but she didn't dare ask him about it.

Throughout these evenings, they would often practice Occlumency, spending time perfecting her shields and defenses. Snape taught her how to use her shields as a defense, but not to overexert herself. He was more hesitant than ever to practice Legilimency, but allowed it anyway.

She once again used the lack of kindness shown to him against his own shields which readily crumbled once again. Hermione made a point of taking her time in his head, treating him like a scared animal who was about to attack. She wanted to make sure he was comfortable with her being there before trying to look for anything. Usually, she didn't have to try to see anything, the memories came to her.

Hermione witnessed his abusive father, and his scared mother. She saw the moment Snape had met Lily Evans, and his immediate attraction to her. She saw how Lily had comforted Snape and protected him from his family. At Hogwarts, they were best friends, and then James Potter began to enter the picture. The constant humiliation Snape was forced to endure, and then his angry words directed to Lily, successfully ending their friendship. The moment he was caught, eavesdropping outside a door, and him kneeling before a dark cloaked figure, then him kneeling in front of Dumbledore, begging him…begging him for something. Then the cottage, the ruins of the Potter's home, and Snape screaming, screaming like someone was using the Crutiatus Curse on him.

After these sessions, he would barely acknowledge her presence in the room and turn back into the cold man she knew him to be. For almost a week he would avoid looking her in the eyes. Then slowly, he'd open back up again and begin talking to her. Rarely did they speak about the memories, and when they did, he'd give her vague explanations. It was obvious he was feeling guilty, and she wished she knew how to comfort him better.

One night, she was heading to his room to see him when he suddenly walked through the door, obviously leaving. She was taken aback, and slightly disappointed that he wasn't going to be keeping their regular appointment. Raising his eyes, they settled on her, and he seemed more upset today than any other day. She stood in front of him, waiting.

"I have to brew some potions for Dumbledore. Tag along if you want, or go back to your common room, it doesn't matter to me," he said harshly before turning away and heading toward the dungeons.

Hermione immediately caught up with him and made the trip into the dungeons. Why was he so cold all of a sudden? They reached the damp corridor and Snape walked past his old classroom, past his own chambers, and stopped in front of a plain looking wooden door. Pulling out his wand, he tapped the door a number of times, and Hermione knew he was taking the wards off of the door. Snape entered the room, leaving her in the hallway. She followed him in and looked around at her surroundings.

There was an entire wall dedicated to vials and bottles of ingredients, and she could see through a door another little room with nothing but shelves of more ingredients. Another wall was covered with books, large volumes containing stains, small, thin books whose covers have certainly seen better days, and piles of parchment that were loosely stacked throughout the shelves. Glancing more closely, she saw the familiar cramped cursive and concluded that they must be Snape's notes.

"Touch nothing." he barked waving his wand causing a cauldron to crash onto the small table in front of her.

Hermione pulled up a stool and sat on the opposite side of the cauldron just as Snape dumped a pile of vials and containers on the table beside the cauldron. Silently, she watched him pull out a knife and begin cutting a brownish material into even chunks. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. Instead, she studied him while he worked diligently on the potion. His hair hung in front of his face and his slim, pale hands worked quickly over the materials as if he could do the task in his sleep.

Halfway through the process, there was a white haze filling the room. Still, they had not spoken to one another. At some point he had rather unceremoniously discarded his teaching robes in a pile on the floor and rolled up his sleeves revealing his pale, smooth skin. Hermione found herself frequently glancing at the Dark Mark which seemed to be moving on its own.

Tossing a handful of materials into the cauldron, he moved back to the prep station and ran his finger down the instructions until he found his place.

"Stir that three times." he said, speaking for the first time since they had entered the room before moving onto the next ingredient.

Hermione, anxious to be doing something, jumped up quickly and made her way around the table. Taking the stirring rod, she did as she was told and saw the murky brown substance suddenly turn a vibrant blue and emit purple smoke. Snape waved his wand at the fire, causing it to significantly lower. Squeezing the juice from something over the cauldron, the liquid changed to a color that resembled orange juice.

Checking his watch, he noted the time and then began to clean up manually. Hermione noticed this, and nearly smiled. Even though she was a witch, she often did tasks manually. Magic wasn't thorough enough. Without thinking, she walked to the table and also began cleaning. He paused for a moment, and looked at her, but she just smiled and continued to return things to their proper containers.

Once again he checked his time piece, but this time he continually stared at it, obviously waiting for an exact time. He raised his wand towards the potion and with a flick of his wrist, the fire went out. Finding a chair in the corner of the room, Snape sat down and leaned his head back against the wall as if he were asleep.

"Is that it?" Hermione asked, speaking for the first time in nearly three hours.

"We wait for it to cool. In twenty minutes it can be bottled and sent to Dumbledore,"

"Why does he need it?" she asked peering down into the liquid.

"I don't ask questions."

"What does it do?"

When he didn't answer, Hermione looked up at him and found him smirking at her.

"That, Miss Granger, I cannot tell you. It's a highly complex potion that this school has banned from the curriculum."

Immediately her brain began thinking, the gears turning.

"And don't you dare think about pulling another stunt to get into the Restricted Section of the library." he instantly said.

She sighed and dropped herself back onto the stool. Spending so much time with him allowed her to view his small habits, but it also allowed him to read her like a book.

"Dumbledore has pulled any book that mentions this potion from the library anyway, and they are now in my possession."

She didn't reply, but her brain was still churning. Why did Dumbledore need a potion? Maybe he personally didn't need it, but needed it for someone else. What kind of potion was it?

"Miss Granger, the uses of this potion are not sinister, so there will be no need for you and those friends of yours to go into hero mode and try to uncover some master plan of total destruction that does not exist."

Hermione turned her eyes on him, and knew he was telling the truth, but she glared at him anyway.

"We don't purposely set out and try to find these things, they just sort of…"

"Come to you?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure." he said with a sneer.

Why was he being like this? He was politer to her than ever before up until recently, so what changed? She was rather hurt by his attitude. Removing her eyes from him, she focused her attention on the vials on the wall rather than the man sitting in the room with her. They sat in silence for twenty minutes before Snape began to bottle the potion. Hermione didn't move, she just watched. Finally, once there were several bottles securely sealed and packed, Snape scooped up his robes and put them back on before waving his wand over them to get rid of the dust. He snapped his fingers once, and a house elf appeared.

"Take these to the Headmaster." Snape said gesturing to the vials.

The house elf nodded and took hold of the vials before disappearing with a crack. Snape left the room, and Hermione followed. The journey back to the classroom was silent, and Hermione was becoming upset. Had she done something wrong? Just as she was about to ask, he came to a sudden stop with a hiss.

"What?" she asked looking around quickly.

Snape snatched up the sleeve of his robes, revealing the Dark Mark. The moonlight was falling on it, making the evil mark appear that much darker. Hermione noticed how the skull and snake seemed to be protruding from the skin slightly, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for his pain.

"Professor?"

He whirled on her quickly with a look of franticness in his eye. He opened and closed his mouth a few times emitting stuttering noises.

"Return to your dormitory immediately." he snapped while grasping his arm.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" she asked taking a step forward.

"No, no, you need to be in bed, you can't be out here alone, it's not safe."

"Not safe? We're in Hogwarts; there is no safer place."

"Malfoy, you need to watch out for him. Whatever you do, stay away from him."

"But-"

He stepped forward, grasping her shoulders roughly, as if he were trying to force the words into her.

"He's after you, you can't be alone with him, whatever you do, do you understand? If you have to hex him into next week, do so, because it may be the last thing you do. Make sure to have your friends close at all times."

She studied his face, which was closer than ever before, and noticed his fierce desire to make her understand.

"Sir, how do you know this?"

"I can't tell you!" he barked squeezing her shoulders harder. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

Her eyes were wide; she could feel the panic flashing through her violently, making her head spin.

"Hermione, do you trust me?"

Snape saying her first name jolted her. Usually it was Granger, Miss Granger, insufferable know-it-all, foolish girl. Hermione's eyes flashed over his face, sensing his fear and feeling the urgency in the air.

"Yes." she all but whispered to him.

"Then please, listen to what I said."

Without another word, he turned and nearly ran down the hallway. She watched, until suddenly her mind caught up with the moment.

"Wait!" she cried running after him.

He pulled to a halt, just as she reached him. There was a moment of silence, and she could see that he was about to ask her what she wanted, but in a flash she flung herself on him. Standing on her toes and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she hugged him in a desperate manner. Hermione hoped she was conveying her feeling through this hug, this small moment of kindness. She could feel his tense body pressed against hers, but he made no move to reciprocate her actions. Hermione curled her fingers tightly into the back of his robes, feeling her fingers ache and noticed the softness and smoothness of his cheek against hers. Allowing the hug another moment before pulling away, Hermione allowed her hands to trail along his shoulders before pulling herself away all together.

"Please, be careful." she said risking a glance at his face.

The number of emotions flashing across his face made it hard to pick out just one. His eyes flashed over her face, as if he were memorizing it like this moment was the last one he'd have with her and the thought made her stomach twist. Snape seemed to be struggling with something, with some inner battle, but in a flash, he made his face cold and impassive and gave her a small nod. Before turning away, Hermione could have sworn that his eyes flashed at her in a way that made her heart skip a beat. She watched him storm away until his black robes whipped out of sight. Suddenly remembering what he had said, Hermione pulled out her wand, stuck close to the wall, and began making her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She couldn't be more thankful for the warning, because sure enough, ten minutes later, Malfoy came stalking down the corridor with his wand drawn. Quickly, she ducked behind a pillar, listening to his footsteps becoming louder and louder.

"Where are you, you Mudblood? I know you're walking around here somewhere." he mumbled to himself.

His footsteps were nearly booming in her head, or was that the sound of her pounding heart? Panic gripped her, and nearly strangled the air out of her lungs, but in a split second decision, she threw her arm out from behind the pillar and silently cast a Stunning Spell. The thud had told her she had hit her mark. Without thinking, she dashed past Malfoy's limp body and didn't stop until she had reached the tower. Gripping her chest and huffing, the Fat Lady awoke and looked sternly down at her.

"Well, are you going to give me the password or was I awoken for no reason at all?" she snapped.

"Dragon's egg." she gasped through the stitch in her chest.

"Well, it's about time." she replied while swinging open.

Hermione stumbled through the hole and was met by Harry and Ron, in the process of throwing the Invisibility Cloak over themselves.

"Hermione! We were just coming to look for you!" Ron cried rushing forward.

"It's alright, really, I have to tell you guys something."

She quickly repeated the story to them near the fireplace, sitting in their usual spots. Thankfully, the common room was deserted. Ron was appalled, and Harry showed no emotion at all.

"You think the git saw you curse him?" Ron asked.

"No, I don't think so." she said shaking her head.

"Hermione, are you fully ready to trust Snape?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Dumbledore does, and so do I."

"But after everything…"

"Harry, he's done nothing but try to save us since we came here!"

"Still, I don't trust him."

"Of course you don't." she replied testily.

The three discussed the events further, both boys agreeing to tell Ginny so that Hermione wouldn't have to be alone at all. Hermione made a mental note to ask Ginny to walk her to the Defense room at night. Finally, the three went to bed, and Hermione cleared her mind before falling to sleep almost instantly.


	8. Friends

**HEY! See, I remembered it was Tuesday today...about ten minutes ago :)**

**So, nothing new here. Drowning in work.**

**Read and Review (PRETTY PLEASE?) They make me smile :D**

**Enjoy!**

**(Did NOT proofread this...don't kill me)**

* * *

><p>The next morning, she awoke with a jolt, not remembering what had awoken her. A seed of panic had planted itself in her stomach refusing to allow her fall back asleep. Finally, with a sigh of frustration, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater before snatching her wand. No one else was awake at the time, making it easy for her to slip from the room. As Hermione made her way down the stairs, she realized that she should have taken Harry's map to show her where Malfoy was. Instead, she spent nearly twenty minutes sneaking around corners and ducking behind pillars and statues.<p>

Once she reached the corridor, she glanced quickly around, and seeing that no one was there, made a mad dash to the classroom. Hermione winced as the sounds of her steps echoed through the hall, but quickly and silently slid inside the room. It was then she realized that she should have checked his personal quarters instead of his classroom and office. Nevertheless, she made her way to the office and pushed open the door.

The sight inside the room nearly made her faint.

Snape, who had apparently been waiting for an intrusion, had jumped up and was pointing his wand at the door. Upon seeing her, his face went deathly pale and his hand dropped limply to his side as his wand rest forgotten on his desk.

"You're not hurt, are you?" she instantly asked in a hushed voice.

He shook his head, and she leaned on the doorway for support because she found her knees shaking slightly due to her relief.

"You?" he prompted looking her over thoroughly.

She shook her head, and he sunk into his chair paler than she had ever seen him before. Hermione didn't know what else to do but close the door and take a seat in front of his desk. Snape kept his face buried in his hand for a long minute before raising his eyes to her face.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," he commented giving a reluctant smirk.

"You don't look much better," she said, too panicked to smile in return.

"Draco Malfoy was found in the hallway last night," he commented. "Stunned,"

Panic welled in her chest, nearly choking her with the words she was trying to get out.

"I did as you said," she whispered frantically, fearful to speak much louder. "But he was looking for me, he was muttering out loud, and the only thing I could think of was attacking him before he found me,"

His face was still pale, and Hermione noticed that his hands were slightly shaking.

"I shouldn't have been so foolish, so careless," he muttered.

Hermione just looked at him, afraid of what he was about to tell her. Snape raised his eyes to hers and spoke in a low voice because he was struggling to keep himself calm.

"Even though Draco is a student in my House, I…I am glad that you defended yourself, and listened to my instructions,"

"Does he know who it was?"

"No…he doesn't have any evidence, but he has a good inkling. He told me he suspected you, but had no proof of it,"

Hermione felt the room spin as she forced herself to focus on Snape.

"I am under the assumption that Draco knows of our…meetings,"

"But how?"

He shrugged, and continued.

"Needless to say, he informed his father…and you know of my connection with his father. Lucius has been desperate to get back in the Dark Lord's good graces after the disaster at the Ministry, and apparently will go to any lengths to do so,"

Hermione felt herself clutching the arms of the chair as if she were about to be physically attacked.

"Lucius and his son have been devising a plan…" he cut himself off here, realizing he had said too much.

"Please," she nearly begged him. "I need to know,"

Glancing at her, and seeing the plea in her eyes, he waved his wand, locking the door and put a Silencing Charm around the room.

"What I am about to tell you cannot be repeated again. Not to anyone, not even your friends. Dumbledore strictly forbids me to speak to you about it, but I feel that you have a right to know. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"There has been a discussion of you, and you're value to the Dark Lord. You know things about Potter that no one else knows, and he has been debating whether or not to extract this information from you. But he's afraid, seeing as many people would notice your disappearance. Lucius Malfoy, and his son, have been concocting a plan to lure you to the Dark Lord, therefore being placed above his other followers. They grow fearful, all of the Malfoy's, which makes them increasingly more desperate. Draco, at the first opportunity, is to snatch you and take you to the Malfoy Manor, where he will perform the Imperius Curse on you. From there, he will force you to marry him, legally binding yourself to him. Then, he will turn you over to the Dark Lord. You will be disposed of when you have no more to divulge,"

Hermione was sure he could hear her heart beating in her chest, threatening to explode from her body and onto the floor. His words echoed in her head, chilling her to her very core.

"Last night, Lucius, knowing that you would be in the corridors at that time, due to the fact that his son most likely informed him of our meetings, told his son to look for you as the Dark Lord ordered a meeting. That would ensure that I would be out of the way, leaving you alone in the hallway,"

Hermione noticed that his eyes darkened as he said this.

"I've been expecting this, since the moment Lucius opened his mouth about the plan," he muttered shaking his head.

A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"What about you, won't Lucius know that someone tipped me off? You're the only one who could have told me!"

"Miss Granger, I've practiced for years covering my tracks, I'll manage," he said with a smirk as some of the color was coming back to his face.

She felt her heart slightly drop; Hermione had quite enjoyed the fact that he had used her name last night.

"What?" he asked noticing her sudden mood change.

"It's just that last night, you used my first name," she said.

He froze for a moment as his face became a cold mask.

"This familiarity between the two of us cannot continue,"

The sentence hung in the air like a dark storm cloud threatening her silently. Swallowing deeply, she calmed her voice.

"So, you're saying that…that you don't want to talk to me anymore, is that it?"

"Of course not!" he said with so much passion that it made her jump slightly. "It would be wiser if you and I did not continue this…acquaintance,"

"I…well, I…"

He almost looked sorry for her; as if he knew what she was feeling at that moment. The prospect of not talking to Snape anymore…well, it quite frankly made her want to cry. Never in all of her years had she expected to have such a relationship with her ex-Potions master, and she was not anxious to see the end of it this soon.

"I'm not going to let Malfoy…well, I'm not going to let him scare me away," she snapped, sounding rather childish.

"I forbid you to come here anymore. I will not be blamed for something that happens to you on your way here. He knows when you come here, it will be only too easy for him to catch you off guard," he said sternly.

"I'll have Harry and Ron and Ginny with me, I'll be fine,"

"And he will have his little following with him,"

"Then I'll take Harry's map, and his cloak,"

"No," he said through his teeth.

"I am not scared of Malfoy!"

"Well, you should be! He is not to be taken lightly,"

"And neither am I!"

There was a moment of silence as she watched him calming himself down.

"If I catch you in this corridor, I will give you detention,"

"Might as well give me detention now then," she said defiantly while standing up and heading toward the door.

As she reached it, she heard the lock click loudly.

"You will not come to this room any longer,"

"You're letting a teenage boy scare you," she snapped turning on him.

"It's not him that is scaring me, you fool! Don't you use your head!"

"What does that have to do about anything?" she snapped without thinking.

But in an instant it dawned on her, taking in his pale face, strained and drawn. It wasn't Malfoy that scared him; it was what Malfoy would do to _her_ that scared him the most. She felt a rush of gratitude towards him.

Taking a deep breathe, she chose her words carefully.

"I don't want you to be offended by what I'm about to say…but when you were in school, from what I can tell from your memories, you never had very many friends, and even the friends that you had were lousy. Even now, you shut yourself up, never speaking to anyone but Dumbledore. I hope I don't sound presumptuous, but I consider us friends, even to the smallest degree. I know how you feel when we talk, because I feel the same way. It's a handful of hours where the outside world is completely lost to us. You always seem less tense when we speak; more relaxed and less worrisome of what Dumbledore is making you do. I believe that you deserve that, no matter what you think of yourself and your actions of the past, I believe you deserve those moments of peace, and I am fully willing to do what I need to in order for you to have those moments. If that means sneaking around with Malfoy after me, then so be it. Through all of this, people tend to forget you, and I think you prefer it that way, but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to forget you, and you can't make me forget you,"

His eyes were blazing by the end of her little speech, and she met his gaze evenly, telling him with her eyes that she had meant every word she had just spoken.

"You care too much," was his response.

"Friends are supposed to care for each other," she answered easily.

"I'd rather have no friends at all. It prevents one from becoming attached,"

"But that's what life is! You form relationships with people, have friends, people you can fall on if you need help,"

"These relationships can be used against you!"

"Whether you like it or not, we both know that you feel the same way I do,"

"No, Miss Granger, you are wrong there," he said smoothly.

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that you were worrying about me as much as I was worrying about you last night, and you were just as relieved to know that I was safe as I was to know that you were safe,"

His knuckles had turned white, and he was fuming at her.

"I will not have one of my students tell me how _I_ feel!"

"I am not going to abandon you just because you shout at me. Lily Evans may have stopped being your friend, but I certainly will not,"

And with that final sentence, Hermione stormed from the room (after opening the door with her wand) and left the classroom to join the others in the Great Hall for breakfast.

The day passed rather slowly, and when Defense came, she noticed that Snape took extra care to ignore her all period. She didn't mind because his behavior told her that she had struck a nerve with him, and Hermione couldn't be happier about that.

She anxiously sat in the common room, waiting for night to fall, and when it did, Hermione asked Harry for his cloak and map. He questioned her, and she told him quite plainly what she was doing. He looked at her oddly for a while before fetching the items for her. Hermione thanked him, and set off for the classroom. Looking at the map, she saw clearly that Snape was still in his office, and instantly set off for the classroom.

But when she got there, she found the door locked and warded quite heavily, and she became slightly upset. Did he honestly hate her that much? Still, Hermione was not to be so easily shaken. She took up a spot on the bench across from the door, and waited.

Like she had expected, Malfoy was stalking the corridor, looking in every nook and cranny. He passed several times as the hallway became darker and colder. He was heading toward the end of the corridor when the door to the classroom suddenly opened, scaring him off. Hermione looked on the map and saw him moving quickly away from the corridor.

Snape stepped into the hallway, looked both ways, and began walking away. Hermione stood and pulled the cloak off in the middle of the corridor.

"Honestly, did you think a bunch of wards were going to scare me off?" she asked.

He spun around, clearly frightened by the voice, but then anger quickly found a way onto his face.

"Are you," he paused, looking for a word. "Insane? You're bloody mental! What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped, trying to convey his anger, but trying to remain silent all the while.

"I told you, you're not getting rid of me,"

"What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered to the ceiling.

"I've been sitting out here for two hours and-"

"Two? Two! What were you thinking, you fool! Anyone could have come walking down here and seen you! Anyone!"

"Malfoy already walked passed at least two dozen times, he's still looking for me. Of course, I'd be much safer if I wasn't stuck sitting in the hallway," she said pointedly at him.

"Come on," he snapped grabbing her arm and dragging her along with him.

"No one's coming; you don't have to be so protective,"

"I'm not being protective," he snapped dropping her arm quickly.

"Sure," she muttered looking at the map again. "See? You scared him off when you left the classroom,"

He peered at the map, noting the small dot that said DRACO MALFOY darting in the opposite direction. Snape was grumbling under his breath nearly the entire way back to Gryffindor Tower. Still, the whole time he kept his wand out and tightly clenched in his hand. He ordered her to do the same.

"And I thought Potter had no brains!" he mumbled loud enough for her to hear him. "I'd never expect you to do something so stupid, idiotic, thoughtless, reckless…of course being around Potter for so long was bound to do damage at some point. You're going to get yourself killed one day because of these bloody noble habits of yours,"

Hermione said nothing, but silently walked beside him in the darkness. When they reached the tower, he immediately made to leave quickly.

"I'll be in the same spot tomorrow, Professor," she said, causing him to stop on the stairs.

"Being that you are so blatantly going to disobey my orders, you might try ways to _avoid_ getting caught by Draco,"

"Like what?"

"Perhaps going to the same destination at the same time every night is a little extreme," he said.

"Then I'll see you at lunch," she said with a shrug.

"Fine," he snapped after a moment.

"Goodnight, Professor," she said before stepping through the portrait hole.

The next day, she quickly grabbed something from the Great Hall and darted to the Defense room while eating. Making sure that no one was in the hallway at the time, she slipped into the room and made her way to his office.

"Did anyone see you?" he barked.

"No, I made sure I was alone," she said taking a seat.

Snape slammed his book down and glared at her fiercely.

"Why do you insist on doing this?" he asked.

"I want to be your friend," she answered simply.

"I don't want friends,"

"Everyone wants friends. Whether they admit that is a whole other story,"

They would switch up their meeting times every day to throw Malfoy off of their trail, and as the weeks went by, Snape became a little more cordial with her. Christmas was drawing near, and a common topic of discussion between them was a party that Professor Slughorn was throwing.

"Too flashy for my taste," Snape mumbled tossing a stack of graded papers aside.

"Any party for you would be too flashy," Hermione said scribbling another sentence of an essay she was writing.

They often talked and worked at the same time.

"I'd rather be sitting home, alone and reading, then attend such an event,"

"But you are going, aren't you?" she asked raising her eyes to him.

"I have to be a damn chaperone,"

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she thought of a scowling Snape, shouting at kids left and right.

"Slughorn said each person is permitted to bring a guest, and I suppose you're taking Weasley?" he asked reaching for another pile of papers.

"Er…no, he has been…we've been fighting," she said lowering her head over her paper so her hair covered her eyes.

"Oh?"

"It's nothing; really, he's just being stupid…and jealous, not to mention flamboyantly flashing that ditzy Brown girl to everyone with two eyes,"

"If I didn't know any better, Granger, it sounds as if you're jealous,"

She sat up then, and gently blew the ink on her essay willing it to dry faster.

"No, I'm not. Well, you already knew I…I had feelings for him. You saw in my memories. But he's such a hypocrite! When I was with Viktor he nearly bit my head off, yet now he's with that…that girl and is angry that I'm taking someone else? It's ridiculous!"

Hermione realized what she had just said.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't want to hear about these things, and I rather hate talking about them,"

"Weasley was never the brightest of you three,"

"No, he's not," she sighed as she waited for the ink to dry. "And when I told him I wasn't taking him, instead I'm going with Cormac, he nearly screamed at me,"

"I'm sorry again, my personal life must bore you half to death," she said giving a rather sheepish smile.

"No, on the contrary, I rather enjoy hearing how idiotic Mr. Weasley really is. I like to know that I'm right every now and then," he said, causing Hermione to laugh.

The weeks past slowly, and Hermione made it a special point to avoid Malfoy at all costs. But, even Hermione knew that her luck was bound to run out at some point.


	9. Stay With Me

**Helllllo my awesome readers! How are you guys?**

**First, I want to say that all of your reviews were AMAZING! I LOVED THEM! **

**So, I was going to make this one a little shorter, but because your reviews were amazing, I decided to give you all a little present and make this chapter longer =)**

**More amazing reviews are welcome!**

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>She had been spending the day in the library, furiously working on assignments that weren't due until after Christmas break. Ron and Harry had stopped in to talk to her, but were quickly thrown out because they were being too loud. It was at some point during sunset that Hermione realized no one was with her. Snape's words echoed in her mind, and she quickly grabbed all of her belongings and began heading from the library. Her thoughts were on Ginny, who had promised to join her in the library after dinner to finish her work.<p>

Hermione was anxiously shifting through her papers, trying to organize them, when they suddenly flew from her hands and scattered across the hallway. Before she could draw her wand, she was roughly grabbed and shoved against the stone wall causing the air to whoosh from her lungs.

"Hey Mudblood, long time no see, eh?" a voice snarled at her.

She went to grab her wand again, but his hand found it first, and when he grabbed it from her, he threw it over his shoulder. Hermione listened as her wand clattered to the floor, leaving her defenseless. She opened her mouth to scream, but his hand closed over her lips.

His face was so close to hers, making her stomach churn. His eyes held a slightly wild look to them, causing fear to wash over her like a tidal wave. He smashed his arm into her throat, further preventing her from screaming.

"You've been avoiding me,"

She went to shove him off of her, but he only shoved her back against the wall harder than before. The only thing she could do was cry, letting the tears flow over his restraining hand which was still pressed over her mouth.

"We both know what's going to happen, Mudblood, so why not come quietly? I won't have to kill your parents then, and I won't have to hurt you. We both know how much that would bother me," he said, clearly telling her with his eyes that it wouldn't bother him in the least.

"Stay away from Snape, I warning you now, or I'm going to do something you'll both regret, do you understand? I know he's been hiding you in his little office for hours a day, and I know he's trying to keep you from me, but I'm going to win in the end, and I'm going to make sure you suffer every step of the way,"

She was about to be sick, she felt her throat and mouth go dry as he pressed himself against her.

"Hey!" a voice shouted.

Hermione turned her eyes and found a seventh year Ravenclaw student who had just entered the corridor.

Malfoy looked at the boy, and seemed rather unfazed by his presence. Turning back to her, his eyes glanced over her face quickly before he smirked.

"You won't be so lucky the next time,"

He pulled his hand from her mouth to gently stroke her cheek before stepping away from her completely. Hermione couldn't move away from the wall, even after he had turned away and began leaving. The Ravenclaw boy came over and began scooping up her things for her, and she instantly dropped to the floor grasping for any bit of parchment she could find, not caring that they were being crushed in her grip.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered shakily.

"I'm going to report him, he's been stalking around the hallways for the past two weeks, and he just stepped over the line,"

"Thank you," she said standing and taking her things from him.

She offered him a tearful smile before darting down the hallway, anxious to be alone. Hermione didn't know where she was going, clutching her wand so forcefully in her hand it was giving her cramps. Left, right, left again, ducking behind a tapestry, walking down a staircase, pushing the door open that was pretending to be a wall, turning right, walking a little, turning around, trying to find the staircase, but winding up in the courtyard.

What if he was there? What if he was lurking in the shadows?

The thought made her tears flow again, and she began blindly trying to find her way…somewhere. She was so scared; she didn't know what to do. Should she say anything? Should she keep everything to herself? Should she-

Hermione crashed into a wall as she darted around the corner. Her things fell from her arms and she screamed feeling the wall grab her. She was going to die, he was going to take her, and she'd never see any of her friends again. What would become of her parents?

"No! Don't touch me!" she nearly wailed as she pulled herself from the attacker's hands, and found herself backed into a corner. It was then she realized she had dropped her wand when she dropped her other things.

"What on Earth are you going on about?"

The voice made her look up, through her tears. Snape's face swam in front of her, and her relief only made her cry even more.

"It's you," she said leaning against the wall.

"Of course, who else would it bloody be? What the hell happened?" he barked upon seeing her face.

She shook her head; she didn't want to tell him, she didn't want him to see. Instead, she dropped to the ground and began scooping up her things for the second time that night. Hermione just wanted to go back to her room and sleep…but Snape wasn't having any of that. He reached out, and took her cold hands between his warm ones, waiting for her to look up. Hermione felt oddly comforted with his touch, so much that the tears stopped flowing down her cheeks. She knew what was going to happen the moment she looked into his eyes, but she knew it would be easier than trying to tell him what had happened.

Hermione took a deep breath, and then raised her eyes, telling him silently that he could look, and he did. She instantly calmed as she felt his presence inside her mind, but this time he wasn't viciously attacking her defenses, so she gently fed him the memory of what had just happened. Near the end, he was gripping her hands tightly while pure rage filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry; I didn't listen to what you said. I was alone, and Ginny was supposed to meet me at the library, and she didn't come so I was trying to get back to-"

"Miss Weasley?" he asked standing quickly.

She began scooping up her things again, shaking from his anger.

"Yes, she said she'd meet me after dinner to work,"

"Miss Weasley was found hexed in the hallway after dinner,"

Hermione raised her eyes to his pacing figure as she stood with her things, once again clutching her wand.

"You don't think-"

"What else could it be?" he snapped. "Just like his father…just like his bloody father," he growled.

Hermione didn't know what to say, but she felt like the danger Draco presented was more pronounced than ever, and the thought scared her.

"Well, good night, Professor," she said going to turn away, but he caught her arm.

"Come with me, you have some bruising on your neck,"

"Oh," she said reaching up and touching her neck.

Hermione followed him down to the room she was in the night he seemed angry at her and he had brewed the potion for Dumbledore. Snape walked into the room dedicated solely to ingredients and dug around for a few minutes, and her curiosity led her over to the room. He pulled out a black container that looked as if it had seen better days.

"Sit," he said pointing to the stool beside the table.

She placed her things down and sat where he was told to sit. He walked over to her and twisted the lid off of the container and recoiled from the smell.

"It has a rather foul odor, but it goes away after a few minutes. I have to apply it for you, if it's not done right, there are rather…harsh side effects," he said.

She nodded, thankful that she had put her hair up that morning. Hermione watched as he pulled his sleeves from his wrists, and took a small amount of crème onto one of his pale fingers. She could see how uncomfortable he was with the task, but she made sure to relay with her eyes the trust she had in him.

He placed his free hand on the back of her neck to make sure she remained still before gently lifting her chin to reveal the slender column of her neck. Snape then set to applying the substance to her skin. Hermione focused on how the pad of his finger made gentle movements against her skin. She saw the crease in his brow as he rubbed the material into her skin with pressured circular patterns. When he was done, he turned her chin side to side, viewing her neck to make sure she had no more bruises.

Silently, he withdrew his hand from the nape of her neck and closed the container before putting in back in the storage room.

"Don't touch it yet,"

Hermione had to keep her hands locked between her knees to keep herself from touching her skin. Snape returned a moment later, pulling a time piece from his robes. Seemingly pleased with the amount of time, he approached her again, and pulled her chin up gently. Anyone who had walked on the scene would have thought he was getting ready to kiss her.

"I suggest you exercise extra caution when near Draco," he said in a low, rough voice.

"I…I tried,"

"I do not believe his threats to be empty," he said as he began running his fingers over the skin he had rubbed the foul smelling crème on, obviously looking for spots that he missed.

"But…what about my parents?" she couldn't help the tone of her voice.

He raised his eyes to her, freezing his hands on her neck.

"I will inform Professor Dumbledore of what has happened, insist nearly constant security on your parents, if not," he lowered his eyes and began his search again. "I'll have to ask Lupin,"

"Professor Lupin?" she asked.

"Of course he won't do me any favors, but when he knows it's for you, he'll be more inclined," he replied drawing his hands away from her skin, clearly pleased with his work.

"The bruises are gone, and any future bruising will not take place,"

Hermione reached up and touched her neck which still slightly tingled with his touch. Feeling relived, she retrieved her belongings and stood awkwardly.

"Thank you, again," she said quietly.

Hermione raised her eyes to his face, and found him staring intensely at her. Flashing him a quick smile, she made her way from the room and began heading towards the stairs. Hermione made it to the top of the stairs before footsteps came up behind her. She whirled around to find Professor Snape striding meaningfully towards her.

"You're not to walk alone, remember?" he said scolding her slightly before walking ahead of her.

She followed him, noticing that this was becoming a habit of theirs; he nearly always walked her back to Gryffindor Tower. This time, however, he kept his wand drawn, making sure to stay slightly ahead of her at all times. When they reached the Fat Lady, he immediately turned his back and disappeared into the darkness. Hermione didn't know how long she stood there, staring after him.

Slughorn's party quickly snuck up on them after that, and Hermione found herself rushing around that night with her hair half done.

"Ginny! Where are my shoes?" she cried throwing things around.

"Here," she said shoving aside a trunk and pulling out two black heels that weren't monstrously high.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered slipping the shoes on.

"Let me finish your hair," Ginny said waving her wand across Hermione's hair.

Hermione's hair fell in gentle waves around her shoulders and she was wearing a turquoise dress ending gracefully at her knees. Sighing, she looked at her watch.

"Oh no!" she groaned darting to the door with Ginny.

She was already late; no doubt Cormac would be waiting for her in the Entrance Hall. Ginny was wearing a green dress which contrasted nicely with her blazing hair. The two darted down the stairs and made it to the hall. Hermione wasn't too pleased with her choice, she rather hated Cormac. He was too touchy for her.

"Shall we go?" Hermione said, instantly heading towards Slughorn's chambers.

She made sure to engage Ginny in a rather pointless exchange to make sure that she didn't have to talk to Cormac too much. But Ginny had to meet up with Dean in the hallway, leaving Hermione alone with him. But the time they had reached the party, Hermione knew more about him than she ever wanted to know.

Before they entered the room, Hermione spotted the mistletoe, and immediately pulled to a stop.

"Go on ahead, I have to go to the bathroom," she immediately said.

He paused to look at her oddly for a moment.

"I could wait…"

"No, no, you go on ahead," she said turning and leaving.

She paused in front of the bathroom, making sure he walked into the room before slowly following. All down the hallway was decorated; making a sort of grand entrance to Slughorn's lavishly decorated quarters. Hermione slipped in quietly, and instantly found Harry speaking to Luna.

"Hey," she said keeping her eyes out for Cormac.

"Hello, Hermione," Luna said rather dreamily.

Hermione looked at Luna's dress, and was rather taken aback by the outrageous design.

"Er…what a lovely dress," Hermione said.

"Oh, thank you, I made it myself,"

Harry seemed rather embarrassed, so Hermione didn't say anything else. She kept pushing conversation, hoping to keep off Cormac for as long as possible. Slughorn kept dragging Harry away, and he always managed to grab Luna before being yanked into the crowd. Hermione eventually was caught by Cormac, who insisted on giving her a blow by blow description of his childhood. While he droned on, Hermione found herself searching for a dark figure, who would most likely be sulking in a corner of the room.

"…and that's when I knew that I'd be a world renowned flyer…but I haven't gotten my break yet, you know. Harry won't let me on the team, even though I tell him all the time-"

"But Harry is the captain, so technically you shouldn't be telling him anything," she said.

"But there are so many areas that need improving on,"

"I don't think so, I mean, he always seems to win,"

"You wouldn't understand,"

"Because I'm a girl?" she snapped.

Cormac didn't say anything, so Hermione stormed away and decided to spend the rest of the night hidden from Cormac, even though he was set on finding her. She ducked behind a crowd of people, and pressed herself against the cool stone wall, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Looking rather flushed, Miss Granger," a voice drawled from beside her.

"Oh!" she gasped, turning to the brooding figure beside her. "I didn't see you there," she said relaxing back against the wall.

"I gathered as much," he said still staring out at the people bustling around.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked in a tone that suggested she was too busy to listen to the answer.

"Not particularly. But watching your feeble attempts to avoid Mr. McLaggen definitely has its high points,"

"It's not funny!" she snapped at him, still looking around the room for Cormac.

"Severus, come now! No sulking today!" Slughorn said strolling over.

"Miss Granger! Why aren't you with Cormac? He's been looking for you," he said upon seeing her.

"Oh…er…well, I actually needed to talk to Professor Snape about something rather important," Hermione instantly lied.

"No, no, no! We're celebrating tonight! Nothing serious!" he said wrapping an arm around each of them and dragging them from the shadows.

"Cormac! Where are you m'boy? I've found Miss Granger for you!"

"Oh, Professor, there's no need for that, I'm sure we'll run into each other eventually," Hermione immediately began to protest.

"Here he is!" Slughorn slurred when Cormac began making his way through the crowd.

Hermione cringed slightly as Cormac reached them.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere," he said wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her away.

She risked a glance at Snape, who looked less than happy at the arrangements, but she was quickly swept away and lost sight of him. Hermione was subjected to another hour of Cormac's torture, and she was ready to yell at him to shut up. There was sudden gasping around the room, and they all turned as Malfoy was suddenly yanked into the center of the room.

"Found him outside, lurking around the bathroom, sir," said Filch to Slughorn.

"Come now, it's the holidays! Let the boy stay!" Slughorn said with his red face.

Malfoy's eyes found her in an instant, and the smirk he flashed her made her skin crawl. Filch unhanded him, and she took a few steps back so she could slip into the crowd. Pressing a hand to her chest, Hermione could feel her heart beating frantically beneath her fingers. Everyone began returning to their conversations as her eyes flashed quickly over the faces that surrounded her. Hermione's eyes landed on the prying dark orbs she had grown so accustomed to over the past few months. Panic filled her, between Malfoy there, and Snape in the same room, she felt desperately cornered. Taking a few steps backward, she then turned on her heel and began heading for the door. Hermione needed to get away from Malfoy, more than anything, she wanted to get away.

Rudely she made her way toward the door and finally reached the deserted corridor, sighing deeply. Once Hermione had made her way from the party, she stood there, looking down each of the corridors she was faced with. Maybe she could go to the library? Maybe back to the common room?

Hermione turned left and began striding towards the common room, hearing the click of her heels echo around the corridor.

"What are you doing?"

She whirled around to find Snape glancing around, apparently making sure that they were alone.

"I can't be in there, not with him," she instantly said to him.

"And do you think that he didn't see you leave?"

Before she could reply, a bright light came from behind her, and Hermione instantly turned and backed up, nearly bumping into Snape. But a moment later, she could see what the light was. A phoenix. The bird paused for a moment before speaking.

"It is best to move them tonight. It will ensure they are safe. Send one to my office, I will take them. Minerva another. She has already taken Mr. Weasley. Make sure Miss Granger is carefully watched,"

Dumbledore's voice vanished along with the phoenix and Hermione was rooted on the spot.

"Potter and Miss Weasley must be found. Immediately," Snape's cold voice said into the darkness.

Hermione was already running back to the brightly lit room.

"Harry?" she called repeatedly, hearing no answer.

Hermione couldn't seem to find them anywhere, but then she looked for Slughorn…and sure enough, both Harry and Ginny were there, trying to act interested in what he was saying. She darted over to them, and grabbed their arms.

"Come with me, it's important, please," she said taking Harry's hand and pulling.

"Miss Granger, surely you can spare your friend for one night?" Slughorn said, determined not to give up such a treasure.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but this is rather important,"

"Horace, Professor Dumbledore requests a meeting with Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley immediately," a cold drawl said from behind them.

Harry gave Hermione a questioning look, but she just gave his hand a squeeze.

"Now, Severus, can't this wait until morning?"

"No, it cannot. Goodnight, I will be taking these three with me,"

Without another word, Hermione pulled Harry along behind her, and Ginny was behind him. They pushed their way through the crowd and eventually made their way into the deserted corridor. Even when they had made it, they were still clutching each other's hands in fear.

"Professor Dumbledore suggests that you be moved to Headquarters immediately. There is reason to believe that the Dark Lord is going to have you followed tomorrow, and perhaps attacked away from school. It cannot be risked. Potter, go to Professor Dumbledore's office. Miss Weasley, go to Professor McGonagall's office. Granger, you'll be with me. First, return to your rooms to get your travelling cloaks. Take nothing else, and speak to no one. Mr. Weasley has already been moved. Keep your wands out and stay together. Now go,"

Harry released Hermione's hand and began to lead Ginny down the hallway, but she stopped to take her shoes off so she could maneuver faster. Hermione remained frozen, staring at Snape, who was staring calmly back.

"Be in the Entrance Hall in no more than five minutes," he said quietly.

"Hermione, come on!" Harry said, now standing with a shoeless Ginny.

"You'll be alright?" she asked without thinking.

"I'm not the one in danger here, and stop worrying about me," he snapped. "Now go, you are wasting time,"

Hermione pulled off her shoes, glanced once into his face, and then ran down the hallway, the others running with her. They all seemed to feel the urgency in the air, because no one spoke as they darted up the stairs, relying on Harry's wand because both Hermione and Ginny had left theirs in their rooms.

They reached the portrait and ran through meeting a crowd of Gryffindor's who were anxiously awaiting the next day because holiday started then. Met with strange glances, the three ran to their rooms and put on their cloaks before darting back down the stairs.

"Why should we trust him?" Harry asked as they clamored out and back into the deserted staircase.

"Harry, I heard Dumbledore's Patronus tell Snape what he just told us," Hermione said slightly breathless while clutching her shoes and her wand.

"Well, this is the way to Dumbledore's office, I'll see you guys later," Harry said, exiting through a door.

The girls quickly scrambled down the stairs, still quiet.

"You don't think that You-Know-Who was going to try and kill Harry then, do you?" Ginny asked finally.

"No, I-I don't think so. I…well, I think he's more interested in me for the time being,"

"What?"

"I can't tell you now Ginny, just…hurry and get to McGonagall's office. Keep your guard up, okay? Don't stop to talk to anyone," Hermione said as she left Ginny standing on the landing.

Hermione quickened her pace, feeling her breath coming in harsh gasps. She paused a moment, near the end of the staircase to slip her shoes back on, before reaching the final landing. Hermione saw Snape pacing around, clutching his wand in the same manner she was, and he seemed to have a deeper scowl on his face than he normally did. As she began nearly running down the stairs, he whirled on her, raising his wand before quickly lowering it.

"Well you took your time didn't you?" he snapped sarcastically.

"I had to run halfway around the school!" she snapped breathlessly.

"Come on, we're going to miss our Portkey if we wait any longer,"

"We're taking a Portkey?" she asked as he waved his wand at the doors.

"Yes, but it must be outside school bounds,"

They stumbled out into the cold, crisp night air before he shut and locked the doors.

"Any trouble?" he asked striding quickly down the walkway.

"No, why?" she asked tripping behind him.

"I suspect Mr. Malfoy noticed your absence,"

"Well, Malfoy can just-"

She tripped and he instantly caught her arm to prevent her from falling. Before Hermione could express her thanks, he took her hand in his, and began pulling her along with him. She didn't say anything more, but focused on the feel of his finger intertwining with hers. The only sound that could be heard was his billowing cloak. Hermione stuck close to him, fearing the darkness that seemed to be pressing in on them from all sides. She was shivering due to the cold air rushing around them, and the fact that she had on a dress didn't help the matter.

They reached the gates, and Snape undid the wards for a moment and redid them once they stepped outside the grounds.

"How did Dumbledore know what was going to happen tomorrow?" she asked quietly.

"He's been predicting the move for quite some time now,"

"Using the information you gave him, right?"

"That is not of importance,"

"It could get you killed!"

He paused suddenly, looking around for something that apparently was supposed to be on the gravel.

"What?" she asked.

"The Portkey…it's gone,"

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

He pulled his time piece out without dropping her hand and looked at the time.

"It should still be here," he said.

"Are you sure it's supposed to be in this exact spot?"

"Yes! I put it here myself,"

"Well, where could it have-"

"Looking for something?" a cold voice said from the shadows.

Hermione instantly tightened her hand around Snape's as he raised his wand. A dark figure tossed an object on the floor in front of them, an old tin can that looked as if someone had dropped it from a considerable height.

"Who are you?" Snape asked in a clear voice.

"Just someone who's doing the Dark Lord's bidding," the voice answered as three other figures emerged from the shadows.

"Under whose orders?"

"Malfoy's,"

"Lucius?"

"No, his brat,"

The silence hung in the air for a moment, making Hermione stiffen.

"Draco does not call the shots,"

"He summoned us, told us what to do," the man said.

The Portkey began to glow blue before vanishing before their eyes. Hermione dug her nails into his skin as she watched their only means of escape vanish.

"So you are doing Draco's bidding, not the Dark Lord's?"

"He told us the Dark Lord told him to keep the students from leaving the school,"

"The Dark Lord gave no such order," Snape said firmly.

"Still," the man said lighting the tip of his wand and pointing it at Hermione's face. "I heard he's been thinking about taking the Mudblood,"

She felt Snape tense at the word.

"But he has not given the direct orders to take her yet, nothing has been decided!"

"We're not leaving without her,"

And in a flash, spells came firing at them, causing Hermione and Snape to release their hold on each other and jump out of the way. Hermione instantly jumped up and send a spell flying in the opposite direction. She couldn't tell where Snape had ended up or if he was hurt.

Darting from behind a tree, she fired off every spell that came to her head, but she was too slow to duck again because something hit her left arm. She cried out and sunk to the ground as her arm began to burn. A spell flew by her, and grazed her cheek, surely leaving a burn behind. The dark figures seemed to be laughing now, suspecting that they had indeed won over them. Hermione's anger burned then, and she jumped out, waving her wand and watching the sparks dart every which way.

They were taken off guard, and she hadn't noticed that Snape was already at her side, casting viciously against them. Hermione waved her wrist and sent a Stunning Spell sailing back at one of the figures, causing them to fly back and land with a thud on the ground.

"Take that!" a voice cried, firing a bright blue spell at Hermione.

She waved her wrist to block it, but the power that the caster put behind it caused the spell to blast through her shield and send her hurtling off her feet. The minute she hit the ground, she screamed, feeling as if someone was digging at her skin.

"What did you do to her?" Snape roared still fighting desperately with the remaining three.

"Just a little Gouging Charm," the person sneered with a smile in their voice.

The pain lessened, but she could still feel the blood seeping from somewhere below her collar bone. She staggered to her feet, conjuring birds, more than she ever had before, and sent them sailing at the attackers in the dark. They all screamed out, and that gave Hermione and Snape an opening. Casting Stunning spells left and right, the drive was suddenly lit up bright red before going completely black.

Hermione could hear her breathing, mixed with Professor Snape's.

"Are you hurt?"

"Let's go," she said avoiding the question.

She walked forward, prompting him to follow which he did. He snatched her arm in the darkness, causing her to hiss in pain. When he took her hand in his tightly, she knew that they would be Apparating, and she took a deep breath, feeling the slight weightlessness, before feeling a hand lock onto her ankle.

Hermione tried to shake him off, but she felt her hand slipping from Professor Snape's. The only thing she could think of doing was to Apparate herself, so she did. She could only hope that Snape came along for the ride because if the person tagging along saw 12 Grimmauld Place, Headquarters would be discovered.

Her hand slipped from Snape's just before she came crashing down to Earth. The hand on her leg strengthened as she tried to kick them off. Her foot connected with the person's face, causing a groan of pain, allowing Hermione a moment to scramble to her feet, but the hand caught her wrist, twisting it until a sickening crunch sounded, causing Hermione to scream and fall to the ground.

Her wrist was broken, she could feel it. The pain was crippling, and her attacker knew that.

"Not so quick now, eh?" the voice hissed with a slightly stuffy nose, probably because she had broken it.

Hermione could do nothing but moan in pain as she curled her arm to her chest to prevent further injury to her wrist.

"I'm going to be welcomed as a hero when I bring you in," he said reaching down for her wand.

"STUPEFY!" she screeched at the top of her lungs.

A large red jet of sparks erupted from her wand, and the ugly man went sailing backward, and when he hit the ground he began rolling down the hill before coming to a slow stop. Hermione stood, blinking away the stars of pain. She was standing on top of a steep hill. She recognized it as a place her parents had brought her once when she was little. There was a small town nearby, but she had to find Professor Snape first.

"Professor!" she yelled across the hill, and down into the dense woods that surrounded her.

Her body ached, but she found her way down the hill, still shouting as loud as she could. Finally, she fell to her knees, breathing heavily, the pain taking her over. Conjuring a Patronus, she spoke to it, realizing that she had no idea where she was at the moment.

"I…I don't know where I am. Please, help," she ended before sending the Patronus on its way.

She watched the otter dance through the trees, heading in the direction she was heading in. Hermione, still on the ground, leaned her body on a nearby tree, and curled up under her traveling cloak, praying that someone would find her soon. Every small shift in her body caused her wrist to move, causing her head to spin. As Hermione sat there, she decided to look over her injuries. There was a rather nasty burn on her arm, the same arm as her broken wrist. The Gouging Spell had taken a rather large chunk of her flesh out on her right side, just below her collar bone, causing blood to ooze from the wound, no doubt ruining her dress.

After what seemed like hours, she heard footsteps. Raising her head from the tree, she saw a light ahead.

"Professor?" she called rather weakly.

"Hermione?"

"I'm over here!" she cried just as she shifted her wrist again.

Hermione looked up and saw him stumbling over logs to reach her. When he finally managed to make it through the brush, he fell down beside her with wide eyes and a pale face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in a strained voice.

"He broke my wrist," she barely whispered to him.

"Let me see,"

Slowly, she unwound herself from her position and whimpered in pain as she cradled her wrist for him to see. Hermione didn't dare look at it.

"I can fix it here, if you want, but it's going to hurt,"

She looked into his eyes, fully trusting him, and nodded. Snape swallowed, and pointed his wand at her wrist. Looking away, she felt her wrist suddenly crack back into place, and Hermione screamed as pain seemed to take over her body. She leaned back against the tree breathing heavily as the pain left her body.

"Thanks," she muttered feeling a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.

He stood and conjured a Patronus.

"I have Hermione, we were attacked. She's safe. We'll arrive in ten minutes,"

The Patronus shot away into the distance.

"Come, we must move before we're followed, and then Apparate from there,"

He helped her to her feet, and kept her hand firmly locked in his as they moved away. Snape questioned her about what had happened, and she told him everything.

"He couldn't see Headquarters...and this was the first place I thought of," she muttered.

"I was rather unceremoniously dropped on the ground rather far from here. I saw your Patronus come from this direction,"

"I couldn't hang on while trying to kick him off," she muttered as they reached a dirt road.

"I think this will do," he said looking around for a moment. "Assuming we weren't followed,"

Hermione looked around before she felt his hand tighten on hers. She automatically braced herself as he turned on the spot. The familiar crushing feeling overtook her as they whipped through space. Their feet hit the ground, and Hermione looked down the familiar road and sighed.

"You're burned," he muttered, looking at her arm whose hand was locked in his own.

"It's not bad," she said nearly instantly.

"And a Gouging Charm?" he asked looking at the rather nasty injury that was still oozing blood.

"I'll survive,"

When she went to walk, he pulled her back and Hermione looked up into his eyes, but he wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the wound.

"Gouging Charms are not usually designed for combat…and if they ever were used, they wouldn't leave damage this severe. The caster must have altered the spell and specifically designed it for combative use," he muttered still looking at the wound.

She went to touch it, but he instantly stopped her.

"Don't touch it yet," he muttered before pulling her along.

They walked silently down the middle of the road, until they paused between the numbers eleven and thirteen. Hermione watched as number 12 Grimmauld Place materialized suddenly, without the Muggles realizing it.

Snape pulled her up the stairs, and waved his wand across the door, unlocking the various locks and cancelling the various wards. When the door swung open, Snape pushed her inside the dark hallway. Remus Lupin was already rushing towards her.

"Hermione! Are you alright?" he asked pulling her in for a friendly hug.

"I'm fine, Professor, where is everyone else?"

"They're in the kitchen, and there's no need to address me as professor when I no longer teach you," he said smiling at her.

At that moment, Harry and Ron appeared and she ran towards them and the three hugged. Even Mrs. Weasley was there.

"Oh dear, we knew that something dreadful had happened, you're nearly an hour late!" she cried.

Nearly the entire Order was present, and once they were all seated in the kitchen, Hermione began telling the story of what had happened, allowing Snape to add what she had missed. As she was talking, Mrs. Weasley insisted on healing her injuries.

"I'll do it, Molly. I have reason to believe these were rather dark curses," Snape said from the shadows.

Snape made smooth and gentle motions back and forth over her arm, slowly healing her burns. Molly healed her collar bone, and began bustling around the kitchen as people began to discuss what happened that night.

"How bad is it?" Hermione asked looking at her arm which he was nearly done healing.

"Looks worse than it is," he said without looking at her.

"Well, that's-"

But the burning had returned to her collar bone, worse than before. Hermione instantly pressed her hand to the new flow of blood, raising her fear filled eyes to Snape's. He stared at her for a moment before instantly addressing her wounds, looking slightly distressed. Once he was done, Hermione stood, and he made a move to stop her.

"I'm really tired, I think I'm going to turn in," she said to him before making her way across the kitchen and to the stairs.

She found Ginny in the room they had shared the last time looking slightly pale.

"Hermione! You're alright! I was so worried that something horrible happened to you. Harry told me, I'm just glad that you got out alright,"

"What about you all? Did you have problems?"

"No, Harry Apparated with Professor Dumbledore, and I flooed with McGonagall. Your Portkey showed up in the basement, and no one knew what to do. We started thinking that Snape took you away and went to the Dark Lord, but Dumbledore said that he'd turn up with you, and then he left,"

The two girls sat and talked for a few more minutes, and Hermione felt things slowly going back to normal while talking about innocent things like Christmas.

Suddenly, Hermione couldn't breathe, and it felt as someone had suddenly pressed a white hot poker against her skin. At first she thought she had been burned, but that was before the blood began flowing quickly over her front.

"Get Professor Snape!" she managed to grit out through the pain.

Her wounds seemingly had opened back up, and had come back worse than before. Hermione pressed her hand against the numerous gouges in her flesh while she grasped onto the bedpost for support. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Ginny came rushing back in, with Snape on her heels.

Snape seemed to have already known this was going to happen, because he instantly strode over to her, and yanked her travel cloak off and tossed it to the side.

"Sit," he snapped pulling out his wand.

Once she was situated on the bed, he began muttering in another language under his breath, sweeping his wand across her wounds. She felt her skin mending, repressing the urge to be sick. Even after her skin was healed, he continued to mutter quietly as she was breathing quickly and still grasping the bedpost. He pulled away, seeming more tired than ever before.

"You need rest, and if a blood replenisher is on hand, I suggest you take that," he said gently.

Hermione wasted no time stretching out across the bed, feeling as if she was just hit by a truck. Everyone began heading from the room, and Hermione closed her eyes, but no sooner had the door closed, that the pain came back, causing her to scream. Before anyone could come back into the room, she could feel the fresh flow of blood drenching her.

Snape burst back into the room and darted over to her. Hermione was clenching her teeth trying to hold back the pain, but Snape noticed.

"Holding it back isn't going to help anything," he muttered sitting beside her on the bed trying to heal her again.

"This isn't working," he muttered, pressing his hands down on the wounds. "Someone get Dumbledore. Now!"

People were running back and forth, and Hermione felt herself slipping.

"Look at me," a voice snapped.

Hermione opened her eyes and focused on his dark orbs. He was gazing fiercely at her, and if she wasn't in the current situation, his gaze would make her stomach knot up.

"You need to stay with me, for a little while longer, okay?"

Hermione placed her hands over his, feeling her own blood slick on his skin, in a silent communication to him. She would stay with him.

A swishing of a cloak told them that Dumbledore had arrived. He immediately walked over and took in the scene.

"Severus?" he asked in a deadly serious voice, the usual twinkle in his eye was missing.

"She was hit by a Gouging Spell, and I'm assuming that it was altered for combat, but every time it's healed, the curse comes back worse than before," he said, still applying pressure to the gushing wounds.

"Back away," he said sternly.

Snape pulled his hands out from under Hermione's and pulled away from her. Dumbledore hovered over her, and allowed his hands to hover above the wounds. He looked older than ever as he concentrated on whatever incantation he was saying in his head. Hermione felt her chest tighten to a nearly unbearable degree. Dumbledore didn't seem to notice her distress, but the air was buzzing with magic.

Dumbledore lowered his arms to his sides and waited, they all waited. After nearly twenty minutes, nothing happened, and they seemed to be in the clear.

"What was it?" Snape finally asked.

"An interesting piece of magic, Voldemort's, I think. It allows a curse to exist even after it is seemingly stopped. Only the more one tries to heal the curse, the worse it becomes,"

"Is it gone?" Snape asked.

"Yes, there was an ancient spell that's rarely used any longer. Mostly forgotten, I dare say. But it does come in handy,"

All eyes turned to Hermione now. She could only imagine what she looked like, covered in her own blood.

"Severus, watch over her tonight, if anything arises, you know where to find me. Rest, Miss Granger,"

He swept from the room, and some followed him out.

"I'm sure there's a blood replenisher around her somewhere, I'll go look for it," Mrs. Weasley said leaving the room.

Snape and Hermione were alone. She didn't look at him, finding she barely had the strength to stay awake at the moment. Before she knew what had happened, she was asleep.


	10. Absolutely Not

**Hey! Yes, I forgot it was Tuesday today...but I didn't forget to update!**

**I love all of your reviews, I can't even tell you how wonderful they are! They make my day ALL the time!**

**I hope this chapter doens't throw some of you, I PROMISE that this is needed to set upt the rest of the story, so don't hate me.**

**So, read and enjoy, and then review to keep me happy =D**

* * *

><p>The next thing that she remembered was waking up in a dark room. Hermione jolted up with a gasp, and immediately reached for her chest. A light on the dresser was suddenly lit, and she saw, sitting in an arm chair in the corner of the room, Professor Snape.<p>

"Don't get out of bed," he said as she went to swing her legs out. "I wouldn't advise moving too much either,"

Hermione stared at him, and dropped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. His soft steps approached her, but she made no move to look at him.

"What was that?" she asked quietly.

"A curse," he muttered looking over her.

"How long have I been out?"

"A little over a day,"

"A day!"

"Well what did you expect? You lost so much blood we were about to take you to St. Mungo's, but we managed to get some replenisher into you, which helped,"

"You've been here the whole time?" she asked, finally looking at him.

"Albus suggested I stay to see if the curse was gone or not,"

Hermione then noticed that his hands were still covered in blood, and she was still covered in blood. Also, he looked as if he hadn't slept at all.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked noticing the untouched bed.

"I believe she's sharing a room with her elder brothers for the time being," he said as he began to look over her.

"Did…did it come back?" she asked.

"No, nothing, so I'm assuming that it's gone,"

Hermione quickly got out of bed and caught her reflection in a mirror, including her dress which was covered in blood.

"You can sleep; I'm just going to wash up,"

"I don't think that you should be moving around so much,"

"Professor, you've watched me for a day, you need to sleep,"

Hermione left the room with a change of clothes and made her way to the bathroom. When she went back to the room, she found him in the opposite bed, sound asleep. Hermione couldn't believe how peaceful his face was, and without thinking, she walked over to him, and brushed a piece of hair from his face. In a flash, his hand locked over her wrist and his wand was drawn. His reaction made her jump, but she wasn't surprised that he was so hostile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" but her sentence caught in her throat as he continued to stare at her.

Slowly, his fingers dropped from her wrist, and he quickly turned over, giving her his back. Before she did anything else that made her look like a fool, she left the room and sat in the kitchen, waiting for other people to awake.

Lupin entered the house, and upon seeing her, gave a start.

"What are you doing up?"

"I've had enough rest for the time being," she said grabbing a cup and making him some tea.

"And where's Snape?"

"Asleep,"

The two talked for nearly an hour before Mrs. Weasley made her appearance. They all began making breakfast, and the smell awoke the rest of the house. Ron and Harry were especially glad to see her back on her feet, and they talked on both sides of her, and she could barely listen due to the happiness that was in the room. She was safe, her friends were safe, and the Order was safe.

Another few hours passed before Snape reappeared in the kitchen, finding the darkest corner to sit in as Molly made him a cup of tea. He gave a single nod of thanks and pulled the cup close to him, slightly hunched over the table. Hermione noticed how he never raised his eyes from his cup as the others discussed matters among the Order making sure those who were not part of the Order were kept out.

They began talking about the Muggles that were being killed, and the way they were talking about it made her stomach turn. Then they turned to the young children of their world being tortured and killed to keep their parents in check.

"Can't we do something?" Hermione said finally as her frustration bubbled forth.

"What can we do, Hermione? We can't go and protect everyone out there, can we? We don't have the man power anymore," Lupin said looking exhausted.

"So we're supposed to just sit back and watch Voldemort kill people, is that it?" she said noticing that nearly everyone flinched at the name.

"We…we can't do anything else," Lupin muttered as Tonks took his hand.

"Then…what is the point of the Order then? Why are we here?" she asked.

"Our main concern is Harry…he needs to be protected," Albus suddenly added in, appearing so suddenly in the doorway that everyone jumped.

"Professor, please," Hermione said looking at him.

"Miss Granger, there is nothing we can do,"

Her eyes immediately fell to Snape, as if he could answer her, but he simply returned to looking at his cup. Rage suddenly bubbled up in her, and she stood, causing her chair to scrape across the floor.

"I'm tired," she lied quickly. "I'll be in the library,"

Hermione stalked out of the room and slipped into the library, blindly snatching a book off the shelf and throwing herself onto the dusty couch.

"Incendio," she muttered, causing a fire to light in the dark room.

She turned to the center of the book and began reading in the middle of a sentence, not caring that she didn't know what was going on. The door opened and closed behind her, and Hermione didn't bother to see who had entered.

"Well, that was a rather rash show of emotions, don't you think?" a voice said in a casual manner.

Hermione didn't need to turn to see who had spoken; instead she focused on attempting to keep her rage in check.

"I suggest you don't run away from everything you disagree with; it certainly won't help you,"

"Well what was I supposed to?" she snapped slamming the book shut and tossing it on the table. "I wasn't just going to sit there and listen to that!"

"You need to learn how to keep your emotions in check! Bursting out like that isn't going to get you anywhere but killed!"

Hermione jumped up and turned on the spot ready to strike him.

"What about you? How can you sit there and listen to them talk about Muggles like their deaths are just something that needs to be tolerated? How innocent children are just going to be casualties of war? How can you-"

"I sit there, because I have to," Snape said in a calm tone that suggested he was forcing his anger deep inside himself. "I sit there and deal with it because there is nothing I can do to change their fates. Nothing I do will make a difference to them,"

She couldn't take her eyes off him as the fire began to die from his eyes. Hermione crossed her arms and turned towards the fireplace.

"It's disgusting," she muttered.

"We cannot do anything, the best thing we can do is accept it and move on,"

"Accept it? Is that the answer? Accept that innocent people are going to die and we're not going to help. No, that is something I am not willing to accept,"

"You need to learn to accept these things, it is a part of the Order,"

"Well then I don't want to be a part of this," she snapped turning towards the door.

Snape instantly reached out and snatched her arms, pulling her to a stop in front of him.

"You do not have the liberty of deciding whether or not you are a part of this. Today is not even remotely close to the worst thing you will hear in that kitchen, but you're going to have to learn how to swallow it and detach your emotions from the discussions. It's the only way you're going to be able to get through the meetings,"

Hermione looked up into the pale and shallow face, appreciating the strong jaw and high cheek bones.

"I…I don't know how to not feel," she said quietly, still looking into his face which was close to her own.

"No," he said with a sigh, his eyes flashing quickly over her face. "I imagine you of all people wouldn't be able to keep your emotions hidden. You're too empathetic,"

"Are all of the meetings going to be like that?" she asked in a whisper.

"Generally. They tend to go for a more blunt way of presenting facts. They'd rather get everything out in the open than dwell,"

Hermione noticed that he didn't seem to include himself in that group.

"Are you staying? Here, I mean, for the holidays?" she asked.

Snape looked into her eyes for a moment longer before dropping his hands and turning his back.

"Dumbledore suggested that I stay, for my own safety. But if…_he_ calls…I have no choice but to go. He tends to have…events planned for the holidays,"

She stared at his back, feeling extremely sorry for him, and wishing she could take him away and hide him from Voldemort forever.

"I…I got you something…for Christmas,"

He turned slightly, to look at her with a raised eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, it's for Christmas and sort of a thank you gift at the same time, but you can only get it under one condition,"

"Out of curiosity, what may that one condition be?" he asked in a careless tone.

"You have to promise to be here on Christmas night,"

"You know I can't make that-"

"Humor me," Hermione said desperately.

He turned back towards the fire, and Hermione thought he had chosen to ignore her, but then his voice came, softer than she had ever heard it before.

"I promise,"

Feeling her heart swell, she turned and left the room, with a small smile gracing her face.

Christmas came in a flash, and Hermione spent most of her days with Snape, in the library. The two had continued their meetings together, and most of the people in the house had left them alone, mostly because of Snape. Harry and Ron were eager to talk to Hermione, but she couldn't face them knowing she would most likely have to lie to them about everything.

Christmas Day proved to be an extremely festive occasion. Every room in the house was decorated, and carols could be heard floating throughout the halls, along with laughter. After intense discussions, Hermione managed to pull Snape down into the kitchen and into the heart of the celebration. He handled it as she thought he would: sulking in the corner and glaring at everyone as they laughed.

Hermione sat beside him, not wanting to leave him alone, but his scowling made her sigh.

"It's Christmas! What could you _possibly _be upset about?" she asked.

"The whole concept is ridiculous," he muttered.

"No it's not," she said huffing.

"And when should I expect my gift? It's nearly night," he said looking at his time piece. "And I'm still here,"

She knew that he was anxious to change the subject, and she let him.

"No, it's not even seven yet, that hardly counts,"

Before he could reply, Dumbledore summoned him to the study. Hermione took this time to join in a game of exploding snaps.

"No, Ginny, you can have a go, I've lost more times than I care to admit," Hermione said after ten minutes.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" a voice suddenly roared, causing the room to fall silent.

Hermione walked into the hall, as the others quickly returned to their games with a little too much eagerness.

"NO, ALBUS! THIS I WILL NOT DO!"

"Severus, this could make sure Harry is safe for longer than we originally thought,"

"And put her at risk? Do you have any idea what they would do to her, Albus? Do you know what they will do to her, just to have her give them some information? I will not do this!"

"Severus,"

Hermione pushed the door open, causing Snape to look at her with fear, and Dumbledore appearing to be calm as always.

"Come in and shut the door, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said.

The fire in the fireplace was crackling merrily, but Hermione felt anything but. Her heart was racing as she looked between the two men. Snape had turned his back on her, and looked to be trembling slightly.

"Professor?" she asked turning towards Dumbledore.

"Miss Granger, do you recall stating that you would do anything to ensure Harry's safety?" he asked gently.

"Yes,"

"No! Do not lure her like that, Albus! I am telling you now that you are not going to do this!" Snape shouted turning on him.

"I understand that you are upset, Severus, but this decision lies with Miss Granger,"

He turned back to her.

"There is something that you can do,"

"What is it?"

Dumbledore took a seat in a chair, and gestured to her to sit on the couch, which she did, folding her hands in her lap.

"You are well aware that Voldemort has shown a rather keen interest in you, as of late. He has expressed his desire to attack everyone that you love in order to get to you, and I know how you fought to keep your parents safe. He plans on extracting information from you concerning Harry, in hopes that he can find a weakness in him,"

"What can I do to help?" she asked patiently.

"Miss Granger, I need to know if you would be willing to go to Voldemort,"

"Go to him?"

"Yes, we would ensure your story would be solid, and once he accepts the fact that he has you under his control, we can begin telling you false information which you can then pass onto him,"

"Then I could lead him away from Harry, and Ron, and everyone else," she said in understanding.

"Yes, this will ensure that Harry has the time he needs,"

"Time? For what?"

"That, Miss Granger, will come out in due time," he said quietly.

"So I just need to give him false leads?"

"It is much more than that, Miss Granger. He will torture you, threaten you, and so many more vile things. This will be no easy task, Miss Granger, and I hope you understand the risk you are taking if you choose to accept this. He could very well kill you in the process,"

Hermione let the words sink in. She could be dead. Voldemort could kill her. Harry needed time, he needed help. He needed her. Hermione hadn't seen Snape's eyes on her.

"Don't you dare play the martyr! You've done enough for Potter as it is, but this is too much!" he cried.

"Why not? Harry needs help!"

"You've already helped the bloody boy!"

"I'm going to do this whether you like it or not!"

"I refuse to do this, Albus! I am not going to watch her kill herself!"

"Severus, that's why we need you, you can help protect her,"

"Protect her?" he scoffed with a humorless laugh. "How? How do you purpose I 'protect' her when she's at his mercy?"

"There is a way," Albus said pulling a folded piece of parchment from his robes.

Severus snatched it from him roughly when Dumbledore held it out for him. Hermione watched as his eyes widened and his face paled.

"No," he choked out, tossing the paper on the table. "No, I refuse to do that, Albus; I cannot be responsible for her,"

"It's the only way to ensure that she is safe during all of this,"

"A contract? What is that supposed to do?" he said desperately.

"You would be legally responsible for her, and I've added a few other little additions that would help. For lack of a better term, she would belong to you and you alone. Voldemort could not keep her for an extended amount of time. Yes, that is one of the things that I've added. This would be a normal contract under every circumstance, except for where his is involved,"

Hermione snatched up the piece of parchment, and read the title: MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

Calmly, she placed the parchment back down as they studied her.

"He would not be able to keep her for more than three hours a day. I'm afraid I cannot prevent what happens during those three hours. After the three hours are up, she must return with you,"

"How can all of that be written into a marriage contract?" Hermione asked.

"I have my ways, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'll do it," Hermione instantly said.

"No!" Snape bellowed, choking on the rest of his words.

"Why not? This could help the Order!"

"Damn the Order! This is your life we're talking about!"

"I'm well aware of the risks," she said.

"Severus, either you agree to this, giving Miss Granger some protection not only due to this contract, but from your presence, or she goes to Voldemort with no chance of returning,"

"How can you put me in this position? After everything I've done for you! I've risked my life for you! I've done everything you've told me to do! Potter is safe enough without her risking her life!"

"This is the only way we can give Harry time, and Miss Granger is the only one who can do that,"

Snape seemed to be crushed with the force of the task at hand.

"I see I have no choice," he finally muttered.

"Now, I want to make myself clear. Once the spell is preformed, and the document signed, there is no turning back from what needs to be done,"

Hermione and Snape sat in silence.

"I must ask you to stand and roll up your sleeves,"

The two did as they were told, when suddenly the door opened, and Remus stepped in. He looked between the three, and then back at Dumbledore.

"Um, Professor, Kingsley just arrived,"

"Remus, come in, we need you," Dumbledore said beckoning him forward.

He stepped into the room and shut the door before approaching the scene. Dumbledore explained what was to be done, and Remus paled considerably.

"Surely there has to be another way," he said once Dumbledore finished.

"What's the matter, Lupin? You don't think I can handle it?" Snape hissed at him

"For God's sake, Severus, I never questioned your ability to do anything! But you, protecting Hermione…"

"I'm perfectly capable of doing what is required of me," he replied coldly.

"Hermione, think about what you're doing,"

"I have," she replied evenly.

Lupin seemed to know that he was fighting a losing battle, because he backed up, showing that he was ready to be the witness to the union. Dumbledore stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Take each other's wrists, like the Unbreakable Vow,"

The two hesitated for a moment, before gingerly taking each other's wrists. His hand radiated strength and power, and Hermione shivered slightly.

This was it. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and pointed it at their wrists. As he began muttering under his breath, a gold smoky ribbon began to emerge from the tip of his wand and continued to wrap around their hands. The ribbon became tighter and tighter and Hermione felt an odd sensation where their skin met. When the ribbon finally finished emerging from the wand, it tightened one last time before the burning began. Hermione stared, concentrating on the color rather than the slight pain.

"Do you Severus Snape, agree to take Hermione Granger as your wife?"

"I do,"

"Do you promise to protect her from harm, to the best of your ability?"

"I do,"

"Do you, Hermione Granger, agree to take Severus Snape as your husband?"

"I do," she replied in a hollow voice.

"Do you promise to obey his orders in times of trouble?"

"I do,"

She lifted her eyes to Snape's and found him gazing fiercely at her, causing her breath to quicken.

"Very well, you are now legally bound to one another,"

As Dumbledore spoke, the ribbon pulled itself from their hands leaving a slightly pinkish welt in its wake and stood hovering over their hands before floating across to the document Dumbledore held in his hands. The ribbon seemed to become absorbed into the paper, giving it a look like it was glowing. They released each other's wrists as Dumbledore smiled.

"If you could both sign your names," They did.

"Remus, please sign as the witness," Dumbledore said.

Lupin stepped forward, took the quill and sloppily scribbled on the parchment. Straightening up, he stared Snape directly in his eye.

"If anything happens to her, Severus, there will be consequences,"

"Is that a threat, Lupin?"

"Yes, it is," he said.

"This stays between the people in this room, do you all understand?" Dumbledore said.

They all nodded as he fished in his robes procuring two rings. He handed the gold one to Snape, and the silver to Hermione.

"These rings are very important. They can help you send messages to one another, or find your way when you are separated. But most importantly, they must be on to work. When it's on your finger, turn it once to send a message, and twice to signal for help. The ring will become hot, and from there you simply Apparate and the ring will lead you,"

Hermione slipped hers on, feeling the cool metal on her finger. Snape did the same with a huff. Dumbledore folded the document and handed it to Snape.

"I'm sure Voldemort would like to see this,"

Snatching the paper, Snape stormed from the room, and Hermione settled herself on the couch. Dumbledore left with a soft smile, and Lupin sat beside her, silent.

"I'm scared," she finally muttered.

"You didn't have to do this," Lupin said.

"Well, I'm scared about that…but what if Voldemort finds out what we're doing? We could both be killed,"

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"Yes, he risks so much, and now I've just asked him to risk more,"

"I want you to keep in contact, do you understand? If you need any help at all, you can ask me. Not to mention Harry and Ron will be wondering where you've gone off to,"

Hermione flung her arms around his neck, and he gently hugged her back. She just needed a brief moment of normalcy, something to calm her racing mind.

"Come, the meeting is about to start," Lupin said softly while pulling away.

"Actually, I think I'm going to turn in. Is that alright?" she asked.

"Of course, I'll tell the others,"

She smiled her thanks and left the room with him, and as he made his way to the kitchen, Hermione caught Snape's eye, and the two simply looked at one another before she turned and headed up the stairs. Only, she didn't keep going. She sat down, hidden, and listened in on the meeting.


	11. Don't Go

**Hey guys! **

**Awesome reviews! Keep it up!**

**And now...the moment you've all been waiting for...so read, and enjoy, and review to keep me happy!**

* * *

><p>The marriage wasn't mentioned, not that that was surprising to Hermione, but she kept brushing her fingers over the ring now resting on her finger. An hour seemed to have passed, and they were still discussing plans when a sudden scrapping of a chair stopped the talking.<p>

"Albus, I must go," Snape's voice said.

If Hermione hadn't spent so much time with him, she would have never noticed the small underlying tone of nervousness.

"Very well, enjoy the rest of your holiday," Dumbledore said cheerfully before turning back to the conversation.

Snape suddenly came from the kitchen, pausing as the door closed. Reaching for his left arm, he yanked the sleeve back and revealed the Dark Mark, black on his pale skin. Snape's eyes drifted to the stairs, and Hermione was glad that she was hidden in the shadows so she could observe him without being seen. He looked as if he wanted to go up, but he quickly looked away and began heading towards the door.

Hermione began to feel panic welling up inside her, sure and strong, the voices of the meeting buzzing around her head. In a split second, she darted from the stairs, seeing that Snape was already nearly to the door. Her footsteps were muffled in the carpet, and the sound of his robes, so he hadn't known she was behind him until she snatched his wrist. Snape instantly went to pull away, but she held him tightly.

There was a single light, outside of the kitchen, and the light barely reached them at the door. Hermione's chest felt tight as she looked into his face, while still holding his arm between her two hands.

"Don't go," she said.

"I have no choice," he said quietly.

"I didn't give you your present,"

Snape turned to leave, but she stopped him.

"Please, be careful," Hermione whispered, still holding his hand.

Even in the darkness, she could see his heated eyes. Snape moved until his back was to the kitchen and hers to the door. Hermione looked into his face, noticing the sudden intensity there.

"I.." Hermione couldn't pull her eyes from his lips.

She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. Hermione clung to him, noticing the fresh scent that clung to his clothing and skin. After a moment, she pulled away and brushed her lips against his smooth cheek.

"Just…be careful," she choked out slightly pulling away.

Hermione went to walk away but he grabbed her shoulder, keeping her in place. When she wouldn't raise her eyes to his face, he tilted her chin up, and Hermione stayed silent due to the look on his face. His hand slid around to the back of her head, tangling in her bushy hair tightly while his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist, yanking her to him.

The moment he shoved her against the door, his mouth descended on hers. Roughly his lips spread hers, and her chest swelled. Hermione tangled one of her hands into his black hair, slightly tugging at the locks while the other hand grabbed the robes covering his back. His mouth tasted of mint, and Hermione allowed him to delve into her mouth, taking control over her. Tilting her head back, he allowed himself better access to her mouth while pressing nearly all of his weight against her.

Hermione pulled him closer to her, enjoying the fact that he was nearly crushing the breath from her body. He slowed down, breathing heavily against her lips. Finally, he stopped, pulling away slightly, but Hermione (who was just barely touching the floor with her toes) pressed her lips gently against his once more, also breathing heavily.

Nearly as quick as he had pulled her to him, he pulled away, leaving her standing there breathlessly as he reached for the door handle, forcing her to step away from it. Snape paused, with the door opened and his back turned to her, allowing the cold air to blow into the house. Hermione stood, with her arms wrapped around herself staring at his back.

She watched as his right hand closed on the door knob tightly while his left hand once again found its way to her hair. He pulled her face towards his, and softly pressed his lips against hers. Instinctively, she gently caressed his cheek with one hand, while the other grabbed the arm that was currently holding her against him.

Snape pulled away, allowing his fingers to trail across her jaw before slipping into the cold night. The door shut behind him with a thud, and Hermione stood there, stunned, staring at the wood as if he was still standing there.

What on Earth had just happened? She had just kissed her Professor! Granted, she had begun to care for him more and more over the past few months, but the blatant display they had just put on was overstepping the boundaries. Glancing down at her ring, she sighed. _Legally_, there wasn't anything wrong with it. She was married to him now, but it was only supposed to be a cover. Not to mention the desperation in which he kissed her, as if she'd never see him again. The thought caused a knot to form in her stomach.

Hermione did care for him, that much she admitted, but caring for him more than a friend…that she didn't bargain for. She stood in the hallway for quite some time after that, trying to process her thoughts and feelings, only succeeding in becoming more and more confused as the time went on.

She went to sleep that night, but couldn't make sense of anything that had happened that day.

* * *

><p>Severus left Grimmauld Place that night with this thoughts racing through his mind. He had one impulse, a single lapse in judgment, causing him to practically maul Granger against a door. His thoughts were confusing enough, but her reaction was a whole other thing.<p>

Severus could still feel the softness of her lips on his and her sweet breath. Granger seemed all too willing for such affection. What were her feelings towards him? Did she only react to avoid being rude? Did she feel obligated to react positively due to the fact that they were married?

Severus glanced down at the gold band on his finger. Well, he sure as hell didn't expect _this_ to ever happen in his lifetime. Then again, what he was involved in was nothing but a mission, there weren't any feelings involved.

His traveling cloak billowed around him as a light snowfall began.

But there were feelings. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't deny the fact that he cared for the noble, yet reckless Gryffindor. All she ever seemed to want to do was help every living soul around her. She never gave up on him.

His heart clenched at the thought.

Severus constantly reminded himself of Lily. He loved Lily, everything about her. Her hair, her eyes, her laugh, her walk, her personality.

Yet, she had been the one to give him up. After his outburst, he repeatedly apologized, begging, nearly on his knees for her forgiveness, and she had turned him down flat. Yet Granger…despite being stubborn beyond what would be considered decent, she had flat out refused to allow him to be alone. He couldn't decide if he was grateful or irritated at that.

There was something there, something churning behind those lovely brown eyes. The way she had looked at him tonight, knowing that he would be leaving, made his thoughts run away from him, prompting the rather enthusiastic reaction on his part. Even if he closed his eyes, he knew he would see those eyes forever, burned into his memory.

Looking up, he gazed warily at the sky. The last time he had looked at the sky in wonder like he was now was after he had screamed himself hoarse at the Potter's home the night they were killed. Severus wished he could see the stars, allow his mind to jump between each twinkling light and then through the galaxy, taking him away from his life.

She wouldn't stay out of his thoughts. Just thinking about the stars reminded him of her. The twinkle in her eye, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, the way her eyebrows knitted together when reading a particularly difficult piece of material, the way she looked at him when he was about to break into her mind, trusting him with her deepest secrets and darkest memories.

Severus now realized that he had let Granger get far too close to him, and he knew that it was too late to turn back. He couldn't exactly avoid her now, could he? Granger…Hermione, he corrected himself.

He swore to himself that no one would replace the memory of Lily, the woman he loved, even in death, and Severus found it uncomfortable that Hermione kept sneaking into his thoughts, especially when he was thinking of Lily.

Severus pushed his thoughts aside, hiding them beyond the walls in his carefully constructed room, remembering that the Dark Lord had summoned him. He had stalled long enough. Pulling his traveling cloak tightly around him, he turned on the spot, silently bidding farewell to the woman currently sitting in 12 Grimmauld Place, and forcing himself to maintain a cold, austere expression.

Malfoy Manor loomed in the distance, a harsh sight. Severus walked quickly to the gate and then up the drive before knocking on the door. After a few moments, the door swung open with a creak, revealing Bellatrix. Inwardly, he cringed at the sight. Certainly, she could have been beautiful if she hadn't chosen this fate, but the Dark Arts had warped her features.

"Severus," she hissed under her breath, blatantly eyeing him up and down.

"Bellatrix," he snapped coldly, pushing her aside and slipping into the chilly house.

As he climbed the stairs, Severus could feel her behind him, nearly feel her breath on his neck. Bellatrix Lestrange would be the absolute last woman in the world that he would ever look at. Azkaban had driven her insane, and now her bloodlust was worse than ever before.

"Severus, come, they don't need you just yet," she whispered hoarsely into his ear.

"I'm not interested in your little games, Bellatrix. I'm sure some of the other Death Eaters will be more inclined to accept your invitation. But rumor has it, they already have,"

She gave a squeak of indignation and stormed up ahead of him and into the room where the meeting was being held. Severus reached the top of the stairs just as she scurried into her seat, glaring around the table.

"Ah, Severus, my dear friend, you are late," a cold voice hissed.

"My apologies my Lord, I could not get away without the old man becoming suspicious," he replied taking his seat near the head of the table.

"Understandable. We wouldn't want him to become suspicious," Voldemort replied softly.

The room fell silent, as they all awaited Voldemort's commands. Finally, the slender form rose from the chair and began walking around the table, each member flinching slightly as he passed.

"Now, we have a small problem that I was informed of this evening," he began softly, causing the tension in the room to rise.

"I do believe I remember saying that none of Potter's friends were to be touched? Am I correct?"

Voldemort looked around as everyone nodded their heads solemnly.

"One of you did not listen," he hissed.

Severus began to sweat. Was the Dark Lord referring to him? He couldn't help the image of Hermione's face that suddenly swam in the forefront of his mind. Severus scanned the table, looking for signs of guilt, but of course he would find none. These people had been trained for years not to display emotion on their faces.

"I know who you are," the Dark Lord continued while pulling out his wand.

In a flourish of his wrist, Lucius Malfoy collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out about your secret, Lucius?"

The screams were echoing around the nearly empty room, ringing in Snape's ears.

"Telling your brat to spy on the Mudblood to see when she was leaving the school! He told you, didn't he? When she was leaving. Then you called my followers, telling them that _I_ had ordered them to attack!"

Lucius was convulsing violently on the floor, still screaming as if someone was repeatedly stabbing him.

"You see, Lucius, I know everything. I know of every little thing that happens here, and it was far too easy to find out what you were up to,"

Voldemort broke the spell, leaving Lucius panting on the floor.

"This is your last chance, Lucius. Fail me again, and I will kill you in front of you wife and that slippery little brat of yours,"

The tension in the room was nearly stifling. Severus calmed his mind quickly as the Dark Lord retook his seat.

"Get up," he snapped coldly at Lucius.

The man did as he was told and stumbled over to his chair, barely able to stand. Everyone turned their eye away from him, including his wife.

"Now, I heard that you were with the girl, Severus,"

"Yes, my Lord. The old man anticipated an attack, due to Draco's actions, and sent them out early. I was met by four Death Eaters, trying to attack the girl. I knew your previous wishes to have her unharmed, so I was forced to fight back. I discovered soon after our escape that she had been hit with a nasty curse, altered, no doubt," he raised his eyes to Lucius, who was still hunched over the table. "She nearly died,"

The Dark Lord glared at Lucius fiercely.

"And now?" he prompted.

"Recovering,"

"Good…good. If I hear of another unauthorized attack, I will not be so lenient the next time, with any of you,"

The entire table seemed to slouch further into their chairs, and Snape noticed a flicker of happiness in his slit eyes. Voldemort let the silence hang over them for another moment as he called Nagini over to his side.

"Does anyone have anything interesting to share? I'm in the mood for a good story,"

Severus knew that he had to tell the Dark Lord what he had done. Tilting his chin up, he faced Voldemort, trying to avoid looking at the sickly pale skin.

"My Lord, I have something that may interest you," he said, knowing that he had to tread very lightly or he would give himself away.

"You usually do, Severus," the Dark Lord said with a smirk.

"I knew that you were particularly interested in the girl, so I've taken it upon myself to gain her trust and loyalty,"

"And does she trust you?" he replied harshly.

"Yes," he said smirking and pulling out the contract from his robes.

Severus watched with baited breath as the slender, skeleton-like fingers slowly opened the parchment. His red eyes flitted over the paper, several times, his face not betraying his emotions. Severus became nervous, as the time stretched on.

"Well, Severus,"

The Dark Lord lowered the piece of parchment to the shiny table before raising his eyes to Severus.

"This occurred tonight?"

"Not long before you called," Severus answered.

"What?" Bellatrix hissed, grasping madly to the arms of the chair.

"Our own Severus has been married to the Mudblood," the Dark Lord said.

There were shouts around the table, of course they would not be pleased that one of their own had married a Mudblood, but Severus sat still and allowed Voldemort to silence them with a single pound of his fist upon the table.

"My Lord, she willingly entered into such an arrangement, but the old man was rather hesitant. He placed certain restrictions on the contract, particularly concerning you,"

"Me?" Voldemort asked in interest.

"He has always been wary of my…loyalties. He believes that I am still one of your followers, so when I brought the subject up, he was against it. He believed that I would use the girl against the Order, which, of course, is exactly what I planned to do. But he has done what he can to prevent you from reaching her. You have one three hour window per day to speak to her, otherwise she must remain in my care," Severus concluded.

"And she will always be at my disposal," the Dark Lord said more to himself than anyone else.

"Yes, that is the general idea," Severus said with a smirk.

The Dark Lord raised his eyes, but did not look at Severus, instead turning towards Lucius Malfoy with a cruel grin.

"And what does Lucius have to say about this?" he mocked.

Lucius raised his eyes to Voldemort, and gave a slight nod in agreement.

"The plan sounds…fool-proof," he sneered, turning his eyes to Severus and allowing his hair to shield his face from the Dark Lord so he could glare viciously at him.

Severus glared back easily, making sure to keep his face hard as stone.

"And what, may I ask, was wrong with Draco? Didn't I suggest Draco for the job?" Lucius asked Severus.

"Your son seems to not know the art of subtlety," Severus said with a smirk.

"The Mudblood hates your son, and yourself, Lucius, the girl would have sensed something suspicious. Plus, your son seems too incompetent to complete any task given to him,"

Severus watched as the two glared at each other before Lucius backed down. There was obviously something between the two that he, himself, did not know.

"My Lord, I beg you to reconsider Draco for the task," Lucius added, keeping his eyes lowered. "The Imperius Curse would work wonderfully on the Mudblood and-"

"I can assure you, with little doubt; she would be able to resist the curse. She is not weak," Severus cut in.

Lucius glared for a moment before turning back to the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, if Draco was to win the Mudblood, there would be no restrictions written into the contract. You could question her all you want," Lucius said.

"I have spent many hours to get where I am, and I will not have your son destroy what I have done," Severus snapped.

"The old man put restrictions against the Dark Lord, Severus. He obviously doesn't trust you enough to allow her to be alone with you. With Draco, the old man wouldn't even know what was happening. We could get the girl right out from under his nose, and over the summer, we could get the information that we need,"

"And what of her parents? Friends?" Severus asked.

"What of them? What are two Muggles compared to winning a war?"

Severus glared at him, and Lucius glared back evenly.

"Now, now, let's play nice, boys," the Dark Lord said in an amused tone.

The rest of the meeting was devoted to battle plans, and the Dark Lord took a choice few and went off to another room with them, dismissing the others. Severus immediately headed down the stairs, but did not notice Bellatrix standing in the shadows.

"You married a Mudblood?" she hissed, making him stop short.

"That is none of your business, Bellatrix," he bit out, heading towards the door.

"None of my business? What of Draco? He was supposed to turn her over to the Dark Lord!" she snapped harshly.

"It is not my fault that Lucius cannot seem to follow the Dark Lord's commands, nor get his son to make up for his mistakes. Both of them are groveling for approval while there are things that need to be done," he snapped.

"You're trying to make Lucius and Draco look bad!" she screeched following him to the door.

"They do that very well on their own, and without my help," Severus said with a note of finality before closing the door in her face.

Severus strolled down the drive, now hidden by the night, and past the gates. Turning on the spot, he appeared in the middle of a small village whose houses all looked to be the same. If Severus had not grown up in the town, he would have been utterly lost, but he was sure he'd be able to find the house with his eyes closed. His feet struck the familiar path, weaving in and out of alleyways containing cobbled streets. A cat peered at him for a moment before returning to the garbage it was just eating.

He could see Spinner's End from where he walked, and for once he welcomed the sight. Severus needed something to remind him of his past at the moment, and what better than his childhood home?

The old, rickety door stood with peeling paint and a slightly wobbly handle. Glancing casually around, he made sure that there were no Muggles before removing the wards from the property. Severus slipped inside the dusty hall, heaving a sigh of relief. All he wanted to do was grab a book, a bottle of Firewhiskey, and relax.

Slowly removing his travelling cloak with tired finger, Severus tossed the cloak on an arm chair in the sitting room, where he started a raging fire. He sat in the arm chair closest to the fireplace; his favorite chair. He normally disliked using magic for everything, preferring the old fashioned way, but he was far too tired to care. Waving his wand, a bottle of firewhiskey, a glass, and a large book came gliding towards him.

Snatching the book, he placed it in his lap before taking the glass and pouring himself a generous amount of liquid. The bottle situated itself on the table next to him. In a sarcastic gesture, Severus raised his glass for a moment to the ceiling, not really knowing who or what he was toasting only knowing his life was being shot to hell. He threw his head back, swallowing the contents in one swig before settling into the chair with his book.

The holidays passed slowly for Severus, being locked up in the dusty old house where he had so many horrible memories. Hermione constantly occupied his thoughts. What particularly stuck in his mind was her innocent sentence _I didn't give you your present. _Even after everything, she was still so naïve and innocent. Still, he hadn't even thought of getting her anything.

Not wanting to sit in the house any longer, Severus pulled on his travelling cloak and walked outside, glancing around before Apparating. Immediately, he was jostled by shoppers, rushing around to complete their errands. Severus pulled his hood up instinctively, to keep away prying eyes. Easily he maneuvered between the people, barely brushing the hems of the other cloaks around him.

Severus remembered when he use to look upon Diagon Alley with wide eyes, amazed at everything the wizarding world had to offer him. He'd spend hours here, exploring every shop, wall to wall.

Laughter, music, and screeching owls filled the air. People with outrageous robes walked around with their packages precariously balanced in their arms. The scowl on his face deepened. All these people were so happy, and he was so miserable.

Severus spotted the sign for Flourish and Blotts above the heads of the crowds. Usually he came at night, when there were no people around and he could easily move about. Severus slipped into the store, keeping his hood up.

Severus moved around the dingy shop, breathing in deeply, savoring the smell of the pages bound into the covers that lined the walls. The woman at the desk didn't rise to offer him help; no doubt she was scared of his presence.

Softly he treaded up the stairs, hearing them creak under his weight. Looking for nothing in particular, he subconsciously ran his fingers over the spines, reading each of their titles. _Plant Life in the Alps, Basic Remedies: What All Potion Makers Must Know, Charms: Advanced Magic._ The list went on and on.

Once he had completed the first lap around the top floor, he paused at the top of the stairs, his eyes drawn to the Charms book he had passed on the shelf. Severus recalled the memory of the birds floating around the courtyard, changing colors smoothly, and then the moment he changed them. He'd remember the peacefulness on her face as they twirled around her forever. And her glistening eyes as they traced the whimsical movements made his chest tight.

NO. He could not allow himself to become attached to her. He had had one lapse in judgment, and now he was losing his whole head. Severus supposed that he could…like the girl. Not more than he liked someone like…Minerva. He'd treat her like an acquaintance, a fairly…well known acquaintance. He could not allow more than that. She was still his student. To him, she would always be his student. Nothing more. She had wormed her way in without his permission, and he could not allow it to continue.

Still. She had gotten him something, and to be polite, he'd get her something as well. Before he had even decided what to do, he had walked back to the Charms book and snatched it off the dusty shelf. She would like this, wouldn't she? It was far beyond what a sixth year would study, and she was always anxious to exceed her classmates.

Thumbing through the book, Severus decided it was a respectable selection, and he descended the stairs, heading into the backroom where most of the books containing darker magic were kept. There was no one else in the room when he entered, which made him happy. Severus hated prying eyes.

After he made a few more selections, he went to the front desk, where the woman totaled the order for him, avoiding his eyes. The woman mumbled the total, and Severus forked over the money as she wrapped the books for him.

Severus stepped out of the store and back into the crowded streets, with his hood firmly in place. He began heading further into Diagon Alley, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. It was then that he recognized a voice as he was passing Madam Malkin's shop.

"Honestly, Ronald, I thought we had already decided this," her sweet voice said.

"Come on, Hermione. Why not?"

"Ron, we're better off as friends," she mumbled staring through the window.

Severus pretended to be viewing something at a nearby vender.

"Hermione," the boy whined.

"Ron, I told you already. You've had all these years to do something about it, and now…"

"But Lavender and I are over,"

"You're just interested now because you have no one to snog you anymore," she snapped harshly.

"No, I promise Hermione, that's not it,"

"Well, you're too late, Ron," she said definitely.

"It's Krum, isn't it? I knew he was no good, I told you-"

"No, Viktor isn't involved,"

"Then who is?"

"No one, Ron," she said, though Severus heard the lie in her voice.

"Then why?"

"Ron, please,"

Severus peaked around the hood of his cloak, risking a glance at the two. Hermione had her face pressed against the glass, apparently waiting for someone, while Weasley stared out across the street.

"Has Snape written you yet? I know how buddy-buddy you two were," the boy said rather harshly.

Severus noticed the flushing of her face, as she suddenly became interested in events occurring down the street from them.

"No, he hasn't, not that he would. What's it to you?" she asked, becoming defensive.

"Nothing," the boy said sarcastically.

"Ron, he saved my life, I owe him more than I can say, and you should be grateful too,"

"You're covering for him, I know you are," he muttered.

"What are you talking about? I'm not covering for him," she said, sounding nervous now.

"You two are up to something," he barked turning on her.

"Even if we are, it's none of your business. Professor Dumbledore …well, it's none of your business," she snapped.

"Why can't you tell us?"

"Maybe if you had continued with Occlumency, you would know!" she snapped.

"Yeah, right! And have the greasy git inside my head? I don't think so," he said with a scoff.

"Ron, don't say that," she snapped.

"Why not?"

"Because it's rude!"

"Hermione, we're talking about Snape!"

"Ron, he's done more for us than we know, the least you can do is show him some respect!"

"I-"

Potter then walked out of the store, with a package under his arm.

"Would you two give it a rest? I heard you all the way in the back of the store!" he snapped, heading towards Severus.

Hermione fell into step besides Potter, and Weasley meandered behind, still cursing under his breath. It was then that Severus felt it, the slight vibration from the medal on his finger. And if he could feel it-

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Potter said.

Severus immediately stepped back into the crowd of people, eyeing the deserted alleyway. Swiftly he stepped through the archway and Apparated back to Spinner's End. Taking a seat near the fire, Severus sighed.

Had she seen him? Did she feel the same thing that he did when she passed by him? If she did recognize him, did she tell her friends?

Severus pulled the Charms book out of the packaging and fingered through it, pausing for a few moments to gaze over something.

If Severus gave the girl the book, he was practically inviting her to continue her obnoxious behavior towards him. He was promoting this…relationship. That was the very last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to give her silly romantic notions in her head.

The thought made him smirk. Severus Snape, a romantic.

Yet, he had kissed her. One stray thought and he had destroyed all of his careful work making sure she knew they would never be more than student and teacher.

This was the most he could do. Give her a book to thank her for everything she had done for him this year. She had helped him when he came back from that meeting, the skin burning from his body, hid him from the Death Eater's at her home, knowing he would get in trouble if he were spotted. She had not told a soul of what she had seen in his head, the horrific and personal memories. Most of all, she had kept this outrageous scheme that Dumbledore had concocted to herself, not even telling her best friends.

Severus slowly made his way to the study, and took a seat at the dusty desk before picking up a quill. Dipping the tip slightly in the ink, he opened the cover, unsure of what to say to her.

_Granger,_

_Merry Christmas, and thank you for keeping our arrangement a secret. Enjoy your holiday._

Severus didn't bother to sign it. He grimaced at the seemingly kind words he had written, but couldn't find it in himself to change them. Sighing, he summoned a house elf from Hogwarts, and instructed the small being to put the book on Miss Granger's bed, so she would receive it when she returned to school.


	12. The Task

**Hey guys!**

**Just wanted to say, keep the amazing reviews coming! I love them!**

**Well, that's all for now!**

* * *

><p>As the days passed, Severus found himself anxiously awaiting the day that term would resume. He wasn't going to lie to himself; Hermione was the sole occupant of his thoughts. He certainly wished that she was with Weasley for vacation, and not home with two Muggle parents. If they were attacked, she'd be able to hold them off, but no doubt her parents would, at some point, be killed, and she taken. More than once, Severus caught his eyes straying to the ring which rested so quietly on his finger. He almost wished that he'd feel the burning he was to feel if she sent him a message, to know that she was still alive, but that would mean that she was in trouble and needed his help.<p>

Severus pondered Lucius and his son for quite some time over the days. How desperate was Lucius? What would he try in order to gain back the Dark Lord's praise? Anyone in that position would be liable to do anything. The thought made Severus squirm, and his thoughts to stray to Hermione.

The holidays were drawing to a close, and Severus fully expected to be called to a meeting before he returned to Hogwarts. When he was summoned, he immediately Apparated while locking away his thoughts just in case the Dark Lord decided to probe into his head. Entering the Manor quietly, he saw Bellatrix standing against the wall, glaring at him. She had still not accepted his 'marriage', yet he couldn't help the twitch in his lip as he passed her. With a hiss she spat at his feet, and he paused to look at her.

"How very unlady-like that was, don't you agree, Bellatrix?"

"I'll show you unlady-like, when I carve out that Mudblood inch by inch," she hissed with a mad gleam in her eyes.

"Touch her, and I can assure you, it will be the last thing you will ever do,"

Without another word, Severus swiftly turned and headed up the stairs, entering the familiar room, and taking a seat, making sure to keep his eyes down at all times.

"Severus," the cold voice to his right hissed softly.

"Yes, my Lord?" he answered automatically.

"I have a job for you, a particularly precious job,"

Severus tilted his head toward the creature wearing black robes and the snake which fashioned into an odd scarf.

"I want you to go to Albania,"

"Albania?" Severus asked, somewhat confused.

"Yes," the Dark Lord said quietly, catching the room's attention. "From there you are certain to meet some of my followers, who remained supportive even after my little mishap. I want you to go to them, and tell them that I require their services,"

Severus pondered his newest task. This was surely going to interfere with his duty to Hogwarts, of course the Dark Lord would see that, wouldn't he?

"Your bride, of course, will be kept safe. No one will touch her, not even myself. We can't have the old man becoming suspicious so soon. Isn't that right, Bellatrix?"

The woman hissed and sunk into her chair.

"What of my post at the school?" Severus asked.

"You will not be returning to Hogwarts for many months, I'm afraid. The old man will have to find you a replacement for the time being. I need you here, Severus,"

"Can no one else fill in?"

"No, I do not trust anyone else with such a delicate task. This is very important to me, and some here seem to be incapable of following orders,"

Lucius flinched slightly.

"Very well, my Lord, when should I leave?"

"The day you are to return to Hogwarts,"

"If I may, my Lord, I would like to leave early tonight, in order to feed the old man a believable story so he will not question my extended absence,"

"Of course, dear friend, leave now if you must. I have finished with you for tonight. What a pity that you won't be able to join in our games tonight,"

Severus gave a quick nod, and stood from his chair before heading towards the stairs.

"Well, Bellatrix, your attitude has been bothering me for quite some time," the Dark Lord hissed softly. "I think you will make a perfect subject for tonight's…games,"

Severus stumbled down the stairs, anxious to get away before the screams began. Entering the night air, his thoughts began to race.

He would not be permitted to return to Hogwarts for quite some time, months, in fact. Immediately, Dumbledore must be informed of the task. If Severus did not complete this task, the Dark Lord would lose faith in him, and his position would be useless.

And what about Hermione? No, of course he couldn't tell her. The less she knew about his…extra-curricular activities, the safer she would be if someone were to try and force information out of her. For months she would not practice Occlumency or Legilimency with him, and no doubt her defenses would weaken. She was certainly good when they practiced in the classroom, but she needed more practice to strengthen the skill. Severus would have to make sure to tell Dumbledore that she was not to know a single shred of what was going on. The only thing she was to know was that he was safe. Still, if he learned anything from looking through her mind, it was that she worried obsessively over things.

The minute Severus returned to Spinner's End, he sent his Patronus out to Dumbledore, requesting a meeting as soon as possible, so he wasn't surprised when his fireplace suddenly erupted in bright green flames.

"Hello, Severus, enjoying your holiday?" the elderly man asked while brushing himself off.

"I've had better,"

"Indeed, you're more sullen than usual,"

Albus took a seat and leaned against the back of the chair, waiting for Severus to speak. In a quite monotone voice, Severus relayed what the Dark Lord had told him. Albus remained emotionless, taking in the words and processing them slowly.

"Well, Severus, you certainly must follow your orders, there is no doubt about that. I'll find you a replacement and keep Miss Granger, well, Snape, at bay. I will need a list of the people who you convince to join Voldemort's cause,"

Severus nodded, keeping his eyes away from Albus.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be gone," Severus said quietly.

"Yes, your absence will alarm certain people," Albus said, peering at him over his half-moon glasses with a twinkle in his eye. "But I'm sure that she'll try just about anything to find you,"

"I wasn't talking about Granger, I was talking about being away from my post for an extended period of time," Severus growled in return.

"Regardless, your wife will certainly become restless at your absence,"

"She's not my wife, I only agreed to this outrageous plan so she wouldn't be killed!"

"She has feelings for you, and she cares a great deal for you, Severus. Even you, yourself have to admit that. What do you think she will do when I can't tell her where you are? I've got to say, Harry certainly has rubbed off on her, he is curious about everything, and always wants to get to the bottom of things. I've noticed over the years that Hermione has picked up the same trait. You cannot contact her with your ring,"

"I'm not an idiot, Albus, of course I wouldn't," Severus barked.

"Now the only thing we need to think about is how to distract Hermione for a few months,"

"Distract? There's no distracting her," Severus snapped at the old man.

"And what do you purpose to do if she should show up suddenly, in Albania?"

"How would she know I was there?"

"The Dark Lord opened a connection between their minds, and with you gone, no doubt she will all but abandon Occlumency, which would possibly open the channel back up,"

Severus hadn't thought about that. What if she did show up? What would he do about it? Everything would be blown.

"I'll explain as much as I possibly can, she trusts me," he murmured, more to himself than Dumbledore.

"And when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow,"

Albus remained silent then, staring into the flames, intently thinking. Severus fell back into his troubled thoughts, making him shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you now. You have some loose ends to tie up,"

Albus entered the fireplace and vanished in a burst of green flame. Severus allowed his body to slump. He honestly had no idea how much more of this he could take. And how was he going to tell her without incriminating her? She had to know _something_ or she would inevitably try and play the hero. That would only cause more problems than were necessary. He couldn't possibly floo to her house and explain to her what was going on; she would begin asking questions, things he couldn't answer. And God help him if she started to cry. He was hopeless in those situations. There was only one other option: a letter.

Severus burst into his study, violently slamming things around. He'd write better if he was angry, not thinking about her. Dipping the quill deeper than necessary, he began to write.

_Granger,_

_You need to listen to everything I am about to tell you, it is far more important than it may seem. I will not be returning to Hogwarts when term begins again, and I have no idea when I'll be returning. This does not give you permission to go looking for me, do you understand? I don't care if you have a dream where I'm being killed; you are not to leave school on a hero mission. I can assure you that I will be safe, and if I should have to defend myself, I am more than capable of doing so. Do not reply to this message._

_S.S_

Before he reread the words, he had scribbled her name on the front of the parchment and attached it to an owl's leg. Well, that took care of that. Severus packed a small bag; he had no need to pack much, just some clothes and money. Locking up the house, he pulled the bag onto his shoulder and began walking through alleys and streets that mirrored each other nearly perfectly. If he hadn't lived here all of his life he surely would have gotten lost.

Severus paused for a moment, just to take a small hiatus. He knew he had told Dumbledore that he didn't leave until tomorrow, but the house was stifling him with thoughts that did nothing but distract him. At least when he worked, he did so almost mechanically and without emotion. This mission would be good for him.

Apparating, he appeared in the small village the Dark Lord had often spoken about when he fled once he had lost his power. The buildings looked as if they were on the verge of collapse and the streets were strewn with litter. Severus continued to travel in the shadows.

A stray dog eyed him, expecting to be thrown a scrap of food, but Severus had none. The village seemed deserted, not a sound was coming from any building. Very few lights were on, giving an even more ghostly feel to the place.

Pulling his cloak tighter around him, Severus approached a sign dangling about the door by a single chain, and badly worn. He could barely make out the words on it, except for one: inn. Pausing for a moment, Severus contemplated staying out in the streets for a night before shoving the door opened.

It was a bar, a dusty and deserted bar, with not a single occupant. The large man behind the bar looked up with large, droopy, watery eyes. Severus peered around, feeling the scowl deepen on his face before approaching the man, who was still staring at him.

"I'd like a room," Severus said coldly, staring the man down.

"What for?" he man replied in a gravelly voice.

"I have some personal business to attend to here. If you are not willing to give me a room then I'll happily go somewhere else," Severus said, keeping his voice crisp and low.

The large man looked Severus up and down for a few moments before grunting.

"Follow me,"

Severus followed the man up a narrow staircase and entered into a narrow hallway. Wobbling down the hallway, the man threw open a door, the last door, and stood aside.

"That'll be ten galleons,"

Severus deposited the money in the man's hand and shut the door in his face. Well, he certainly didn't like this place, especially that man. No doubt he was the only one in the entire building. Staring around his room, Severus felt his heart sink even more. A single bed, looking stained. An armoire, containing a door that was barely hanging on, and a dresser, which looked as if it had seen better days. Peering into the bathroom, Severus was appalled by the sight of the dirty tile.

Pulling out his wand, he waved it once, and the room cleaned up nicely. Well, as nice as a room like this could get. Settling in, Severus began to map out his plan of action. The next morning, Severus left his room early, making sure to cast a charm over his valuables, not only warding them, but hiding them from thieves.

Stepping out into the dreary morning, he began searching for the people Voldemort had told him about. Surprisingly, his first few targets agreed to join their side without much convincing, but most wanted things in return, mostly things containing monetary value.

"I'm sure the Dark Lord will happily oblige you, if you only ask him to," Severus said for what he felt was the hundredth time that day.

The feeble man in front of him looked at him suspiciously for a long moment, and Severus met his eyes evenly.

"What will I get out of this?"

"Your life,"

The old man's face paled a little, and a few moments later, his name was added to the list of followers.

Severus worked for many weeks, Apparating around Albania, searching for people, following them, and convincing them that the Dark Lord wanted them to be at his side. Most agreed out of fear, and many requested some sort of payment for their services, which the Dark Lord had anticipated. He was willing to pay each a small sum, but the moment they asked for more, he would kill them.

A few blatantly refused, accepting the fact that they would be hunted down by the Dark Lord and his followers, and most likely killed.

"I was stupid and naïve then," a young woman said, holding her husband's hand tightly in her own.

"And you are willing to put yourself, as well as your husband's life in danger?" Severus questioned.

"I don't care what she does, but she's not going back to that-that thing!" the man snapped, glaring at Severus.

"Please, dear, not now," the woman said gently.

Severus noticed the immediate reaction to the words. The man leaned back, taking deep breaths before wrapping his arm around the woman's shoulders.

"I can't believe he would even remember me," she said quietly. "I remember brewing some potions for him, when he was weak…and to think I was aiding the darkest wizard of all time,"

"Darling, we can leave, he won't find us, we both know people we can go to if need be," the man said.

"You're married, are you not?" the brown-eyed woman asked.

Severus was startled for a moment, drawing back into his chair before clearing his throat.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he said, staring at her in surprise.

"Your ring, I noticed it when you came in,"

Severus looked down at the gold piece of metal, which had remained cool for nearly a month, much to his relief.

"And your wife, does she know?"

"Know what?"

"What you are,"

The woman spoke in a kind manner, not at all mocking him or sneering at him. Her eyes reminded him of-NO.

"Yes, she knows," he replied shortly.

"I'm sure she's wonderful," the woman said with a smile.

"And what makes you assume such things?" Severus asked coldly, noticing the husband looking slightly uncomfortable, and a little angry.

"She accepts you for who you are, and what you are. Not many people could do that so fully, she must be positively wonderful. I would say that I would like to meet her someday," her smile faltered. "But we may not have very many of those left,"

Severus left the couple, purposely forgetting to add their names on the list of those who had refused, instead adding them on the 'not found' list. The gold band on his finger seemed heavier that day, more prominent in his mind and thoughts than ever before.

Technically, he reminded himself, Granger didn't accept him, she just chose to deal with him in order to help her best friend. This whole entire ordeal was just a business transaction, with him just offering protection.

Nearly a month and a half had passed, and Severus still found himself missing his classroom, but not for the teaching. His head was screaming at him that what he was feeling was entirely wrong, she was his student! To even feel a shred more than that was stepping over the lines.

And after this thought, his mind flitted to the night that he left, the soft snowfall outside, and the warmth of her body. Severus recalled every curve of her person as he unashamedly pressed her against the door. The experience was heightened by the fact that she had kissed him firmly back. Her soft lips…he felt that he was losing the memory of them, and their movements.

Perhaps it wasn't feeling that governed their actions, but rather the thought that he was leaving, for how long, they didn't know and that he may be killed. It was a rash decision, based on the events lying ahead at the time. He wanted to stay there, in that horrible house, a place where he had no fear during meetings, or speaking to his leader. She didn't want to let him go. When combined…well, they managed quite effectively, didn't they? Combined, they had caused one of the most potent events he has had in twenty years.

Severus concluded that she was motivated by feelings, not he. Severus Snape didn't become tangled in a web of emotion. He was a man who kept his true self hidden under layers of lies. No young woman was going to distract him if he had anything to say about it.

So, for the next few months, Severus Snape chanted to himself repeatedly _"This is business, and I am the protection. This is business, and I am the protection. She is naive and has let her emotions get the better of her. She is naive and has let her emotions get the better of her,"_

The cool winter air soon dwindled down as Severus traveled all over Britain, rounding up the numbers, informing Dumbledore of the names, and reporting to the Dark Lord the names of those who refused to join him. For all of these months, Severus had not been summoned to a meeting, and for that he was grateful for. The strain of his job was etched onto his face, and his mind was straining to stay in check and alert at all times.

As spring rolled on and people began emerging from their houses after a harsh winter, Severus was losing himself in his task. He no longer desired to do what was assigned to him and missed the comfort of his own home. The Dark Lord seemed to sense the same thing, because after five long and tiring months, Severus felt his left arm burn with a familiar calling.

He Apparated to Malfoy Manor and let himself in quietly. Severus couldn't even be bothered to raise his eyes as he entered the room which was filled with soft whispered. They all fell silent and looked upon his face.

"My dear friend, you've lost some weight," the Dark Lord hissed.

"It is nothing, my Lord," Severus said, nodding respectfully to him.

"And what news have you?"

Severus pulled a list from his robes, and handed it to the Dark Lord. The red eyes flashed over the names, and Severus noticed his eyes taking on a brighter shine, the shine that makes one's blood run cold.

"Very good, Severus, very good indeed," the Dark Lord said nodding, with a cruel grin on his face.

"Thank you, my Lord,"

"I suppose you are wonder what has been going on since your absence?" the Dark Lord said, lowering the list to the table.

"Yes,"

"I have given Draco the task of killing Dumbledore, but the year is almost over and I'm afraid that the old man still lives, isn't that right, Lucius?"

Since the first time he entered the room, Severus lifted his eyes to Lucius Malfoy. His usually regal and snobby face had become withered and thin, his hair had been neglected, and it looked as if he had been crying recently. Apparently, he had been having a rough time.

"Severus, you are to kill the old man in the event that Draco cannot. I am under the impression that the attack is to be in a week. Perhaps the brat will have finally fixed the Vanishing Cabinet in the school,"

A murmur rippled through the room for a moment.

"Not to mention Draco hasn't given up his obsession with that Mudblood. Oh, I've almost forgotten, Severus, that you have married the girl. I'm sure you will be most unhappy to know that Draco's thick skull has not fully processed that information yet,"

Severus eyes lifted once more to Lucius, this time with a murderous glare.

"I thought I told you to back off, Malfoy?"

Lucius raised his eyes for the first time.

"And let the Mudblood alone while you gallivanted across the country? I think not. We could have gotten valuable information out of her while you were gone, avoiding your duty to your Lord," the man spat.

"And I see, once again, applying your brilliance, you have failed once again at producing anything worthwhile," Severus snapped.

"I'm just as brilliant as you are, Severus-"

"Yet you fail to apply those brains you hold in so high esteem,"

The room erupted into laughter, and Lucius grew red at the fact he had been humiliated in front of an entire room of Death Eaters.

"Come, Severus, you must return home and rest. You have worked very hard for me, and you certainly have not been avoiding your duty, contrary to what our dear friend here thinks," the Dark Lord said, staring straight at Malfoy.

Severus took his leave, arrived at Spinner's End, and sent his Patronus to Dumbledore, who arrived a few moments later.

"Well, it's certainly good to see you again, Severus," Dumbledore said taking a seat.

Without saying hello, Severus launched into his story, detailing his travels and the meeting he had just come from. Albus looked completely unfazed.

"I just told you that Draco is going to kill you, and you act like I have said nothing," Severus snapped after a moment.

"I've known all year what Draco has been up to. But if he should fail, I assume you are next to take his place. Severus, remember the promise-"

"I remember!" Severus snapped. "It's not like what you're asking is easy!"

"I'm well aware, Severus, but it must be done,"

They fell into silence, and Severus wished the Dark Lord would just kill him right there so he would have to be put through this any longer.

"You can return when you are ready, but for now, I believe it is best for you to have a decent amount of rest. You look as if you could use it,"

"How have things at the school been?" Severus asked, trying to get the topic off of himself.

"Miss Granger did not take well to your absence, not that it was all that surprising. Nearly asked me every day if I had gotten word from you. Even when I did I didn't tell her. The poor girls been through enough already,"

"I didn't ask about her, I asked about the school,"

"Yes, but they're one in the same," Dumbledore said smiling at Severus.

"Albus, what is going on between Miss Granger and myself is simply a business transaction, that is all, so you can stop looking at me like that,"

Severus was at the end of his rope, and one more innuendo about the relationship between Granger and himself was going to push him over the edge.

"Very well, Severus, remain blind if you must," Dumbledore said before climbing back into the fireplace and disappearing.

Severus remained at home, reading and sleeping, ready to start work again after a week of rest. Wrapping his cloak tightly around him, he Apparated to Hogsmeade and began heading towards the school. The familiar winged boars that flanked the gates came into view, and Severus finally felt at home. He didn't realize how much he had missed the stone walls, shouting at kids and handing out detentions like it was Christmas, but here he was, back for the end of the term. He couldn't wait to see his office.


	13. The Move

**HEY!**

**I just want to let you all know how AMAZING you guys are! Your review make me happy!**

**So, read, enjoy, and review! 3**

* * *

><p>Entering the school, Severus quietly made is way to Minerva's office, and knocked.<p>

"Come in, but you shouldn't be out of bed, regardless of what you need to ask-oh! Professor Snape!"

She had jumped to her feet with wide eyes.

"When did you return?" she asked.

"Last week, but Albus thought it best that I rest for a week before returning to my post. Where is he?"

She eyed him warily, deciding whether or not to tell him what was going on.

"He left earlier this evening. With Potter,"

Severus was stricken by the news. Where did Potter and Dumbledore need to be, together, outside of school?

"Very well, I'll be in my office,"

Severus immediately headed to his classroom, hoping beyond anything that Granger had gotten over sitting outside the door every night, which it appeared that she had. His classroom seemed…cleaner. Apparently the substitute was a neat-freak, which only irritated him more. Heading to his office, he was happy to see that the room was relatively untouched. There were a few sheets of parchment on his desk, with a handwriting he had once looked over on a twelve inch essay he had assigned.

_Dear Professor, _

_I don't know where you are, Professor Dumbledore won't let anything slip, and I've practically been begging him. He only says that you are safe, and that I shouldn't contact you under any circumstances, so I suppose I'll have to sneak into your office and leave this for you, hoping that you see it at some point._

_It's been nearly three months, almost four, and not a soul has heard from you. Dumbledore says that you have personal business to take care of, which may mean you will not be returning this term. I know that's not true. When he says that, there's something that is not quite right in his eyes, which makes me nervous. _

_I still have your Christmas gift in my trunk, wrapped and all. Oh, and thank you for the book, I loved it. I've read it five times already, and am about to start it again. I practice the Charms nearly all of the time now. Harry has become obsessed with this Potions book, and I don't trust it, and Ron has all of a sudden gone Quidditch crazy, leaving me ample amount of time to my own thoughts, which is not something I really enjoy at the moment. So, I fill the time practicing the Charms in the book you gave me._

_You're probably going to be angry at me, but I've begun having dreams again. They're not anything major, just flashes here and there, of the meetings that go on, but I haven't seen you in any of them. I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing. I try so hard at night to keep my mind shut and my barriers strong, but I can't anymore. I have no one to practice with._

_I spent the Easter holiday at Headquarters, mostly helping Remus out. The full moon fell then, and he was locked in the basement. I brewed some wolfsbane for him, and sat with him as he went through the transformation. Honestly, he was like an oversized dog so I wasn't scared of him. Tonks nearly lost it when I told her that, and told me never to do something so dangerous again. I told her I wouldn't, but that was just to stop her from yelling. Her and Remus have been acting strange lately, it's obvious that they're in love. Remus seems to have a problem with that, but she's all for it. I didn't pry into their lives; it is their problem after all. _

_Your replacement has no idea what he's doing. Honestly, I could teach the class better than he does. Most of the kids fool around by throwing things or setting things on fire, which causes him to go into a tantrum and clean the place top to bottom. He wanted your office, but Dumbledore refused, giving him and empty room at the other end of the school._

_Even after four months, I still expect to walk in and see you glaring at us from your desk, but all I see is that man who calls himself a teacher, but is anything but. I sneak into your office sometimes, because I have these feelings that you're going to step through the fireplace that night, but you never do, so tonight I have resolved to write you a letter being that I barely have anyone to talk to anymore. No one will find it, besides Dumbledore if he so chooses to visit your office, so I don't feel bad about leaving it on your desk._

_I guess that's all for now. I hope you're safe while doing…well, whatever it is that you're doing. I think someone's in the hallway, so I better go._

_Hermione_

Severus looked a little farther down the page.

_P.S. I got caught, after I left your room, go figure. I knocked over a suit of armor and got a detention from Filch. It was alright, I was with Hagrid._

Severus gently ran his finger over the impressions on the parchment before slipping the pages into his robes. Why did she have to do this? She couldn't just leave things alone and keep her distance. He was barely seated for more than twenty minutes when Flitwick burst into his office.

"Severus! Severus! There are Death Eaters! Here! In the castle! You must come!" the little man squeaked.

Without saying a word, Severus waved his wand and the small man fell to the ground. Calmly, but quickly, he made his way through the halls, and came face to face with Draco, being tailed by four Death Eaters.

"Good evening, Draco," he said coldly, looking around the group with indifference.

"You're back," the pale boy said with wide eyes.

"Yes, I've just gotten back, but I see that you're a little too busy for conversation,"

"I-I have to get to the Astronomy Tower," Draco said pushing his way passed, the other Death Eaters splitting off and wreaking havoc on the school.

People were beginning to emerge from doors and flock into the hallway, with bleary eyes in their pajamas. Severus quickly walked away, heading towards the Astronomy Tower. Draco was already there, cornering an injured Dumbledore. As Severus snuck up the stairs, he found Potter hiding out. A small creak under his foot caused him to whirl around, wand drawn.

Severus motioned to him to be quiet, and Potter lowered his wand. Potter trusted him because Dumbledore did. Too bad that was all about to be blown away. Climbing the remainder of the stairs, he emerged behind Draco, who quickly drew back.

"Do it Draco!" Bellatrix screeched. "Do it now!"

"No," Severus said, looking at her, to Draco, and then finally Albus.

What had he done to himself now? The man could barely stand on his own two feet, and his eyes kept darting to the floor, obviously looking at Potter.

"Severus…please,"

No. NO. He couldn't do it! He wasn't going to! He couldn't kill the man he had grown to look up to, the one who had helped him through the toughest time of his life, the man who had taught him nearly everything he knew. But he had promised him, despite his better judgment; he had promised he would do what needed to be done. Emotion welled up inside Severus Snape for the first time in nearly seventeen years, and he raised his wand to the one man who could help him in the world. His lips barely parted as the incantation rang aloud, louder in his own ears. The room erupted with green light, the old, wise man with a small smile on his face was thrown backwards, silently rushing through the darkness, and to the ground below.

No one moved. Severus Snape had killed Albus Dumbledore. He needed to leave. He had to get away from this place. Roughly he shoved Draco in front of him, nearly shoving him down the stairs. He distantly heard Bellatrix shout something, and ignored Potter, who was still hidden in the shadows.

"Go!" he snapped at Draco who couldn't seem to move fast enough.

The Aurors were there, fighting their way against the remaining Death Eaters, along with some students. Draco strode quickly in front of him, and Severus calmly followed behind, though he could feel his hands shaking at what he had just done. They were almost there, nearly away from the horror he had just committed…when a sudden bushy haired girl stumbled into the hallway, scrapes on her face and burns in her clothes. Draco was oblivious, slipping into the staircase without another glance, but Severus had stopped when she looked up at him.

Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open slightly. There were so many questions burning in those eyes. He had forgotten how beautiful they were. They simply looked at one another, before he slipped down the stairs, thinking about those wide, frightened eyes he had just left behind.

They burst onto the grounds which were darker now and cooling quickly. Bellatrix was in her element, blowing everything in her path away while cackling madly. As they approached the forest, he heard his name being shouted from behind. Draco pulled to a stop looking back nervously.

"Go!" Snape shouted, shoving Draco away.

Bellatrix turned also, a mad gleam in her eyes as Potter came barreling towards them. Before Snape could say anything, Bellatrix sent a curse sailing towards Potter, who, of course, didn't have his guard up. The boy went sailing through the air and crashed to the ground.

"No!" Severus cried, turning on Bellatrix. "He belongs to the Dark Lord!"

Not only that, but Severus had promised Dumbledore that he would protect the boy, after his mother was murdered. He was Lily. The boy was on his feet again, trying to curse him, when suddenly, Severus heard his own spell fly from the boys lips, and he sent Potter flying through the air and onto his back.

Severus told the boy that he was the Half-Blood Prince, before leaving him in the grass, in front of Hagrid's burning house. Stumbling down the steep slopes in the Dark Forest, Severus couldn't keep the image of her brown eyes from the forefront of his mind.

Once they had left the boundaries of the school, they Apparated to Malfoy Manor, where the events that occurred that night were relayed to the Dark Lord. Severus remained silent, thinking of white hair, green flashes, and deep brown eyes.

"Severus, once again you have proven yourself a worthy follower," the Dark Lord said.

Severus nodded once, keeping his eyes down to the table. The meeting continued, and Severus did not say a word. When they were finally dismissed, Severus darted from the house and then down the drive, anxious to get away.

When he Apparated home, Severus collapsed in a chair, with a bottle of Firewhiskey, allowing his emotions to take over. For the first time since Lily Potter died, Severus Snape felt tears streaming down his face. He had killed his mentor, the one person he had in this world. He was gone.

Severus spent the next few weeks drinking and passing out on the floor. He didn't care about anything anymore.

Waking up one morning, sprawled out in the middle of the floor, Severus decided to retrieve the piles of newspapers that had collected on his stoop. Nearly three weeks had passed, Severus noted, looking at the dates. Each paper had a picture of Dumbledore on its front, causing him to throw them straight into the fire. He didn't want to read about his sins.

Forcing himself to lose track of time, Severus simply existed, but did not live. He went to meetings, but did not speak. Time droned on, meaningless to Severus.

"My dear Severus," the Dark Lord said. "You're looking quite ill. I hope everything is alright?"

"Perfectly fine," Severus lied smoothly.

"Good, because I have some good news for you,"

"My Lord?" Severus responded, finally raising his eyes.

"As a reward for all of your services, I want you to take the post as Headmaster at Hogwarts,"

Many at the table gasped, and all eyes rested on Severus.

"I…I would be honored, my Lord," he replied bowing his head.

As if killing Dumbledore wasn't enough, Severus would now have to replace him. He'd have to face his colleagues again, and the students with their judging eyes. Normally, he didn't care what they thought about him, how they judged him. But this…this was personal. He didn't want people to think that he was a murderer. But he was, wasn't he?

The summer passed in a blur for Severus, not realizing how many days or weeks passed. He stopped looking at the paper in fear of seeing those bright blue eyes. Before he knew it, July was coming to a close. Deciding to journey out in the back alleys of Diagon Alley, Severus ran into Mundungus Fletcher, a member of the Order.

Not being able to resist, Severus peered into the man's mind, focusing on finding the Order meetings that he, himself, had stopped going to. He saw them all sitting around, not knowing what to do because their leader had fallen. The conversations inevitably turned to Potter, and when he should be moved from his house. They were planning on moving him when the trace was lifted. Severus would have to tell this to the Dark Lord, he expected Severus to have this sort of information, but Severus quickly planted the idea in the man's head to use Polyjuice Potion and use several Potters when moving. Severus slipped into the shadows before the man even realized he was there. It was the least Severus could do in keeping his promise to Dumbledore. Both of them.

So Severus told the Dark Lord of the news, and asked to be part of the group that was to surround the house. The Dark Lord had no objections.

The days seemed to go faster now, Severus dreading what was about to occur. Time seemed against him, and the next thing he knew, the day had arrived.

Early in the morning he reported to Malfoy Manor to receive his instructions. There were close to fifty people in the house that morning, all anxious to be given something to do. The instructions were clear: Kill everyone but Potter.

When nightfall came, they all made their way outside, where they were each given a broomstick.

"Remember, you are to summon your Lord if you spot Potter," Bellatrix hissed. "Now go!"

Brooms shot in the air, causing a whirlwind of dust and debris, and once the air was clear, Severus mounted his broom.

"I hope I find your little Mudblood. No doubt she'll be with him tonight, won't she?" Bellatrix chuckled before shooting into the air with a scream.

Severus followed, his heart in throat the entire way. He had always loved flying, it allowed him to leave his problems on the ground. But tonight as he flew through the freezing clouds, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder every few minutes, feeling as if his problems were tagging along, following each of his movements. Thirty minutes later, dozens of hooded figures hovered silently in the air, waiting for a sign of movement.

They didn't need to wait long. A rush of wind alert them to the presence of Aurors. Severus was waiting, knowing that there would be decoys to distract the others. Sure enough, several pairs of people burst forward, and the vicious battle in the skies begun. Severus immediately set off after one of the Harrys, attacking but making sure that he missed every shot. Dodging behind a Death Eater who was aiming at the back of Lupin's head, Severus shot a curse, knocking his wand from his hand.

"SNAPE!" the man roared, clutching his hand.

"You flew in the way!" Severus barked before whizzing past.

Where was the real Potter? Where were they taking him? How many had been killed already? Severus knew the most likely place for Potter to be after tonight was the Weasley's place, and no matter what, Severus was going there that night.

"THE DARK LORD HAS POTTER! THE REAL POTTER!" someone screamed.

Immediately the fight stopped as the decoys flew into the distance. Severus was relieved that the fight had ended, but he still didn't know the casualties. They all hovered in the air, at a loss for what to do. A sudden smoky form suddenly came hurtling towards them, rage pouring off of the figure in waves.

"GET OUT OF HERE! ALL OF YOU! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE'S FACE UNTIL I SUMMON YOU. NOW!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Brooms were zooming so fast through the air that they were nearly colliding.

Severus leaned close to the handle of his broom, and darted towards the place where he knew Potter would be. Severus had always been a good flyer, interested in Quidditch since he learned about the sport, and anxious to discuss it to anyone who would lend him an ear. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about Quidditch. Pushing his broom faster, the cold air bit at his face viciously.

Why did he want to go to the Weasley residence? To find out if Potter had made it? Severus was sure that he had; so many people had stepped forward to ensure his safety. But there was another question, nagging constantly in the back of his mind, though he didn't want to admit it to himself. He just wanted to look, just to ensure himself, that's all. There weren't any feelings attached to this decision.

But why did he need to ensure himself? Why wouldn't the knots in his stomach go away?

Before he could ponder his thoughts much longer, he felt his broom shutter in his hands. Apparently he had reached the enchantments…and suddenly his broom stopped vibrating beneath him. Severus felt gravity taking over, his broom nothing but a piece of wood now, and he was forced to levitate himself to prevent a horrible crash to the Earth.

Even while falling he could see the lights of the Weasley house, and people standing in the yard. Less than graceful, Severus crashed to the ground, stumbling on his feet for a few seconds, his broom forgotten on the ground. He could feel the eyes on his face before he even looked up.


	14. A Few More Minutes

**Hey guys!**

**Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming!**

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Did-" Severus never got to finish his sentence before he went sailing through the air.<p>

"Hermione! No!"

Severus pulled himself off the ground, and looked at his attacker. He was met by two fiery brown eyes, which Lupin was restraining with both arms.

"He killed Dumbledore!" she screeched, fighting against the arms that were keeping her at bay.

"It doesn't matter now!"

"Yes, it does to me!"

"Let her go, Lupin," Severus drawled pulling his wand out.

Lupin eyed him, holding his wand, and Severus sighed.

"I'm not going to hurt her but I believe I have a right to defend myself. Now, let her go,"

Lupin released his arms from around Hermione, and she stumbled forward but instantly regained her footing, with her wand pointed straight at his face. Wordlessly, she sent a spell at him with a vicious flick of her wrist.

"You killed him!" she shouted, stepping towards him while casting another spell.

"I can explain," he said easily blocking it.

"How? How can you explain _killing_ someone?" she screeched sending another spell at him.

With a flick of his wrist he deflected it.

"Perhaps if you could control yourself for a moment, we could talk like civilized people," he answered coldly.

"You could have written a letter, but I forgot, you don't know how to keep in touch!"

Viciously, she sent spells sailing towards him, relentlessly attacking him. Finally, she stopped, breathing heavily with watery eyes.

"Four months," she said breathlessly while her wand lowered. "Four months I had to sit here and wait, with nothing,"

Her wand was now at her side, and her ferociousness had vanished, replaced by the emotional stress she was under. He felt his heart clench at the sight of her watery eyes.

"I told you I was safe,"

"That doesn't matter! Four months and I didn't hear a single thing!"

"I had business to take care of,"

"For Voldemort,"

Nearly everyone who was watching the scene winched, but Hermione didn't budge.

"That doesn't matter,"

"And what about Dumbledore? What are we going to do now? How are you going to explain that?"

Severus became angry then.

"None of you understand what happened!"

"You lied to me," she said quietly. "You told me that you were on our side,"

"I am!" he roared throwing his wand into the grass. "Look yourself,"

Severus could see the hesitation on her face, but her hand raised, and a moment later he could feel her in his head. He couldn't help but sigh at the feeling. The warmth and comfort he had been without for nearly seven months was finally back. He noticed how her presence froze for a few moments, simply sitting there.

Slowly, she began to search through his memories, and he instantly pulled forward the one that she wanted to see. He watched as her eyes widened as the memory played for her. He could see how confused she was when suddenly yanked her eyes from his.

"He…he asked you…to…"

"Yes, he asked me to kill him,"

"What?" Lupin asked stepping forward.

Hermione pressed her face into her hands, and Severus stepped forward.

"Why?" she asked, raising her head but not meeting his eyes.

"Draco was ordered to kill him, and Dumbledore knew that. He also knew Draco wouldn't be able to go through with it…leaving me to do it,"

Hermione still kept her eyes down.

"I didn't want to, but I promised him," he whispered, only so she could hear.

Her eyes snapped up to his, taking in his face. In a flash she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. Severus hesitated a moment, but he realized how much he had missed her…company. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her. A sudden pop forced them apart.

"Harry!" Ginny cried.

Hermione ran towards him and nearly tackled him to the ground.

"You're alright!"

Severus found his wand in the grass and slipped it back into his robes. He had to admit, he felt awkward standing there after everything that happened.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"Harry, it's not what you think, we were wrong, please-" Hermione said trying to calm him.

"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?"

Potter had pulled his wand out, but Hermione stood in front of him.

"Get out of the way, Hermione!"

"No, we can't fight amongst ourselves! Harry, the others haven't even made it back yet!"

"What?" he asked distracted.

"Ron and Tonks, Mr. Weasley and Fred, Bill and Fleur, and Mundungus and Mad-Eye haven't come back yet. They've all missed their Portkeys," she said.

"Who did make it back?" Potter snapped.

"Remus and George…" she looked uncomfortable suddenly.

"What?" Potter asked. "Hermione, tell me,"

"George was hit by a curse...his ear," Lupin said.

Potter rushed into the house, and Hagrid stood their glaring at Severus. The rest of the group remained outside, staring into the sky. Severus joined the group, standing close to Hermione's side.

"This is my fault," he whispered.

"No, it's not,"

"I looked into Fletcher's mind and found out,"

She was quiet for a moment, making him feel worse.

"You had to do what was needed of you,"

A whooshing noise suddenly broke out through the silence, and Mr. Weasley and Fred landed softly on the ground and were immediately engulfed by their family.

"Remus, she'll be fine," Hermione was saying quietly to the shabby man.

"I worry about her…not the swiftest thing on two legs. She makes me worry," he murmured, keeping his eyes on the sky.

But a moment later, a purple haired woman suddenly crashed to the floor, and Remus darted towards her. Both Hermione and Potter darted towards the red head, and the three stood their embracing for a while before Weasley was pulled into the house. Hermione stood back at his side and stayed with her eyes trained on the sky.

Severus couldn't help but study her face. She seemed strained and exhausted, and he felt slightly guilty about that. He just wanted to force her to look at him so he could explain everything to her.

"Tonks and Remus got married a few weeks ago," she said quietly, staring at the stars.

"She'd marry a werewolf?" he asked, without thinking.

"He's not like the others," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "They love each other very much, that much is obvious. She doesn't care about what her husband is,"

Severus knew she was hinting at him, but chose to ignore it. Turning his eyes to the stars, he stared without really looking.

"We need to talk. I think we've put it off long enough," she said after a few minutes.

"And what would you like to talk about?" Severus asked folding his arms behind his back.

"You know what I want to talk about!" she snapped while turning on him.

"I can assure you, I have not the slightest idea,"

Of course Severus knew what she wanted to talk about; he just wasn't ready for that. He would never be ready for that discussion. Severus refused to allow feelings (if that's what you could even call them) to seep into their mission.

"How can you just…"

"How can I what?" he snapped rather harshly.

"How can you just stand there acting like nothing happened?"

"Miss Granger, nothing did happen,"

"Yes, because snogging is considered the norm," she said sarcastically.

"That, I can assure you, was a lapse in judgment,"

"A lapse in judgment?" she asked, sounding slightly hurt.

"Yes, a _severe _lapse of judgment," he said in a tone of dismissal.

"Well…thanks for that,"

Hermione turned and walked back inside the house, and Severus knew that he had hurt her, but it was for the best. It didn't make his shame or guilt feel any better. In fact, this is the worst he had felt since he so brutally killed the one man that he looked up to. Severus should have stopped her…and tell her what? He turned and watched her stomp back into the house. Now it was only him and Remus waiting, staring into the sky.

"So he really did ask you to kill him," Remus mentioned.

"Yes, he did," Severus snapped defensively.

"I'm not questioning you,"

"And what, you suddenly trust me?"

"No, but Hermione says so, and I trust her,"

"When did you two suddenly become friendly?" Severus asked harshly.

"No need to get so defensive. We're both married now. She was the one who brewed my wolfsbane when I needed it,"

"She wrote to me saying that she sat with you. I hope that wasn't during your transformation,"

When the man didn't answer, Severus looked at him, and noticed that his eyes were turned away.

"Lupin?"

"Well…"

Before he had time to say much more, Severus grabbed the front of the shabby robes forcefully.

"YOU LET HER SIT WITH YOU! DO YOU HAVE AN OUNCE OF BRAIN MATTER!"

"It was her decision!"

"She's barely eighteen! It wasn't her decision to make!"

"Stop it, the both of you!"

Severus was suddenly attacked from the side, but the force barely moved him. Releasing the man, Severus turned his eyes to Granger, who was fuming at him.

"Why do you have to do that? What is wrong with you?" she said breathing heavily.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been killed!"

"Well I wasn't going to leave him alone! Tonks was gone, and you were gone. What else was I going to do? He needed company,"

He wanted to hex her into next week!

"I told you not to say anything, he always overreacts," Remus muttered.

Severus lunged at him again, but Hermione immediately stepped in front of him, pressing her hands to his chest. God help Remus if they were alone in the same room. The only reason he was controlling himself was due to the woman standing in front of him, still touching him.

"You do understand what we agreed to, don't you? This is completely unacceptable," he hissed.

"Oh, and you not showing your face for four months, and then another three is totally fine," she said sarcastically.

"Oh come of it!" he snapped turning away and walking along the fence.

"Severus," she began, but a sudden screech stopped them.

Bill and Fleur glided gracefully on a Threshel, and Remus rushed over to them. Once they were firmly back on the ground was when Severus noticed the girl had tears streaming down her face.

"What?" Remus asked looking between them.

"Mad-Eye's dead," Bill mumbled.

Hermione squeaked and threw her hand over her mouth while Remus slumped slightly. They all stood in silence for a moment longer, the women sniffling.

"What…what happened?" Remus dared to ask.

"Voldemort went straight for them, the moment we left the ground. The second Dung saw him, he Apparated. Moody was hit in the face. I saw him fall off his broom,"

Fleur nodded and gripped her fiancé's arm.

"I suppose we better tell the others,"

They made their way inside, but Hermione headed towards the gate, pacing rather violently. Severus stood there, awkwardly, not knowing what to do. What could he do about a crying woman? An angry crying woman by the looks of it. It also did not escape his notice that she had called him by his first name before. He watched for a moment longer, and she didn't seem to be calming down.

"Miss Granger," he said calmly, approaching her like one would approach a wounded animal.

He could hear her mumbling to herself, and see the tears on her face, steadily streaming down her cheeks. Severus sighed deeply while rolling his eyes.

"Miss Granger," he said louder.

"Oh, don't call me that!" she snapped, barely glancing at him. "We're married; we might as well use each other's names. I can't go around calling you 'professor' forever,"

She continued her pacing, muttering, and crying, and Severus finally had enough.

"Hermione!" he barked.

Hermione pulled to a stop and look at him.

"What?" she asked in a broken voice.

"Calm down. You're not going to get yourself anywhere going on like this,"

"Well what am I supposed to do?" she mumbled turning slightly away from him.

What was he supposed to do now? Pat her on the back? Talk to her about her feelings? He didn't do that stuff because he just didn't care. But there was something itching inside of him, something that he had been trying to bury for seven long months. Severus felt like he should comfort her. So, only coming up with one option, he slipped off his traveling cloak and walked over to her before wrapping it around her shoulders. Granted she had a sweatshirt on, being that she was one of the Potter's that flew, but that didn't prevent the chilly summer night from seeping through the material.

"Thank you," she mumbled while pulling the material tighter around her body.

He said nothing but continued to stare across the hills.

"I knew Dung was a bad idea," she whispered. "From the moment I met him, he seemed so…dodgy. I told Remus that we shouldn't take him, he wouldn't be able to stomach what was needed to be done, but he insisted that Dung come along. And because that slime ball couldn't deal with it, Mad-Eye is dead. Could you imagine if one of us were with him?" she looked at the side profile of his face.

"He was supposed to be a Protector, you know. One of us could have been killed tonight. And that bastard just disappeared!"

Severus could tell that she was becoming angry again, but he let her go. The more she expressed herself, the better off she would be with coping with her feelings in the long run.

"How do you just disappear like that? When someone is counting on you, you can't just back out because you're scared! And now Mad-Eye is dead. What are we going to do now? They're picking us off one by one. He was our best fighter, and best coordinator. None of us can remotely do what he did,"

"If I may offer my input, I'd say that the Dark Lord would have went after Mad-Eye anyway," Severus said smoothly.

"Why?"

"For the exact reasons you just stated. The Dark Lord would have predicted that Potter would be heavily protected, and Mad-Eye was the most skilled and experienced fighter. Either way, I'm sure that the Dark Lord's plan was to weaken the Order further than…than it already is,"

"Regardless, if I ever see that man again, I'm going to hex him into a million pieces," she growled.

Severus sighed deeply, but said no more.

"What are we going to do now?" she whispered, and he knew she was probably crying again by the tone.

"We're going to continue what we've been doing," he said resolutely.

"It's not the same anymore. While you were…busy for all those months, the meetings became worse and worse. We're all at a loss now. Dumbledore's gone, Mad-Eye is gone and we don't have a leader anymore,"

"What about Wonder Boy?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Harry…well, Dumbledore left Harry something to do. Well, he left the three of us something to do. I don't have a single idea to help Harry, and I don't like it because I'm not usually in the position of…"

"Not knowing what to do?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, yes. It's…well, to put it bluntly, I'm scared to death. We honestly don't have any idea what we're doing, but everything rides on this,"

"And what did he give you to do?" Severus asked as his curiosity got the best of him.

"We're not allowed to say, I'm sorry,"

"It's no matter to me," he snapped when she denied him an answer. "But remember the contract we signed,"

"I remember," she mumbled. "And I'm not going back on it,"

Severus dug into his robes suddenly, which made Hermione jump in alarm. He pulled her letter from an inside pocket and held it out to her. Gingerly, she took it from his hands, unsure of what to do.

"My letter?" she asked.

"Yes, I've kept is with me since that day," he mumbled, hearing his voice on the verge of cracking.

"You know it's not your fault,"

"I killed him, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you didn't choose to. He wanted it,"

"Well I didn't!"

"Yes, I know," she said sighing and opening the letter.

After a moment, she laughed.

"I really did get detention after that. In my effort to sneak around, my foot got caught on the armor, and the whole thing fell to the ground. You should have heard the noise," she said with a chuckle.

"You shouldn't have blatantly put yourself in danger like that, especially with Malfoy hanging around,"

"I thought you liked Malfoy," she stated.

"I do, he's my godson. But, due to the current circumstances, your safety comes before his…desires,"

"I'm sorry,"

"For?"

"The thing with Remus. I know it's dangerous, but…we both just needed someone,"

"You could have talked to your friends,"

"Yes, but none of them know about…this," she said motioning between the two of them. "Not a single word in seven months,"

"That's quite an accomplishment for you, I daresay,"

"He was having trouble with Tonks…he's very sensitive about his condition. He didn't want to force himself on her like that, but she loves him. He just needed to see that. So when he'd change, I'd stay in the cellar of Headquarter's with him. I'd read to him, I'd talk to him. Mostly he'd just lay his head in my lap to try and comfort me. It…well, it was a long four months of school,"

"I can imagine,"

"If I asked you what you were doing during that time, you wouldn't tell me, would you?"

"No,"

"That's what I thought,"

"It was still reckless, what you did," he scolded.

"Yes, I know, but it helped. He was the only person I could confide in,"

"Just refrain from spending time in the presence of a fully transformed werewolf, wolfsbane or not,"

"I'll try," she said with a smirk.

"As I understand, you've let your Occlumency go," Severus said, changing the subject.

"I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, but I've been working on things with Remus,"

"Lupin? He doesn't know Occlumency,"

"No, we don't practice. We just read books on theories and talk about them," she said, tugging the cloak tighter around herself.

"You shouldn't have let yourself slip. It could have been dangerous,"

"I know but it just happened,"

"It'll take years of practice to have your mental shields automatically hold themselves in place,"

"Do your shields hold themselves?"

"Yes, they do," he said quietly.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I didn't give you your present yet!"

Severus had completely forgotten about it, to be honest, but the twinkle in her eye made him hold his tongue. He didn't care how happy she was, as long as she wasn't crying, he didn't care what she did. Instead of rushing inside, she suddenly pulled a beaded bag from under her shirt, which was baggy because it was Potter's. Astonished, he watched as her entire arm slipped into the bag as she furiously dug.

"Undetectable Extension Charm," she said answering his unasked question. "Aha!"

Pulling her arm back, she revealed a package covered with cheery looking faces all over the wrapping with rosy cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know it's nearly August, and the paper's a little worn, but I've had this with me since December," she said turning it over in her hands. "Well, Merry Christmas,"

Severus paused for a moment, staring at the package before gingerly taking it from her hands. He pulled the paper off and stuffed it into one of his pockets. Severus found two books in his hands. One had a leather cover with a gold clasp, and the other looked to be a book whose writing he couldn't see.

"This one," she said gently touching the one with writing on its cover. "Is _100 Most Useful Potions and Antidotes _but I'm sure you know them all, I just thought you'd…enjoy it. And the other one is a journal,"

"Journal?"

"Well, I noticed that your notes aren't exactly…organized, so you can write everything down in here. You can add pages to any part of it, just in case you run out of room. I don't think that there's a limit on how many pages you can add, either. This way you'll have all of your notes in one spot, and not in a pile of parchment of a shelf," she said keeping her eyes down.

Severus looked between the two books, thinking deeply about them. Usually Dumbledore got him something for Christmas like this…but her gifts seemed more…special. He couldn't remember feeling so happy over a gift before in his life. For a moment, his chest felt tight as his eyes flashed between the two books.

"I didn't really know what to get you, but I just thought-"

"They're perfect," he said, cutting her off.

"Really…? I didn't-"

"They're…perfect," he repeated.

"I'm glad you like them," Hermione said quietly, keeping her head down so her hair shielded her face.

Severus couldn't help but run his fingers over the books, they were truly wonderful. Of course he wouldn't tell her how much they meant to him.

"I wanted to say thank you, again, for the book," Hermione said quietly.

"It was nothing," he muttered.

"It helped me…a lot over the last few months,"

"Hermione! Come in the house!" Miss Weasley yelled from the doorway of the house. "And Severus, come in for a drink!"

The two sat silently, staring across the sloping fields in the darkness. Severus slowly backed up, and began heading towards the gate.

"Where are you going?" he heard her say.

"Home. They don't want me here,"

"Well, I do, and you're still part of the Order," she said following him.

"Stay here," he said turning on her. "Do not step outside these enchantments,"

"Just stay for a little while," she practically begged him.

Her eyes were pleading with him, and he felt his will begin to crumble.

"You've been gone for seven months, I'm just asking for a few more minutes,"

"Let's go; get in the house," he snapped, heading towards the Weasley's home.

Severus could practically feel the girl beaming beside him as she walked with a new found spring in her step. He knew that he shouldn't be doing this especially showing her that he'd go along with almost anything she said. Severus was more than aware that half of the people in the house would want to kill him, and he really couldn't blame them. He wished he was dead.


	15. Faithful

**Hey! I know that this is a bit short, but that's just how it needed to end :)**

**Please please review! They make me super super happy!**

**Read, enjoy, and review!**

* * *

><p>When they entered the house, conversation stopped immediately. He could tell how dejected they all looked; losing Mad-Eye certainly was a large blow to them. Nearly every eye was on him, and he noticed the small Gryffindor taking a defensive stance in front of him.<p>

"Everyone, just calm down. I told you already, Severus is on our side," Lupin said in an exhausted tone from an old arm chair.

"What about my son?" Arthur barked.

"Arthur,-"

"Mr. Weasley," Severus immediately began. "In my effort to prevent Remus from being killed, my aim appears to have been slightly off, and part of the curse, regrettably, hit your son,"

"You were trying to keep me alive?" Remus asked with a shocked expression.

"It wouldn't due to have another one of you killed under my watch," Severus snapped, but sighed. "Remus, as much as you and I haven't gotten along over the years, it certainly isn't my wish to see you dead. We need everyone in the Order now, and any loss would be devastating. Potter needs all of the protection he can get now,"

Remus just stared at him, not really knowing what to say to his childhood enemy. Finally he stood and walked straight up to Severus, staring him straight in the eye. Severus was ready to be punched in the face, but to his surprise, Remus held out his hand.

"Thank you, Severus, for saving my life tonight," he said gruffly.

Severus took the man's hand, and they shook for a few moments. Remus turned back towards the crowd, who were eyeing him as if he had just rolled up his sleeve and flashed them the Dark Mark.

"Dumbledore trusts him, therefore, I do," he stated plainly.

"Me too," Bill said nodding his head at Severus.

His fiancé smiled, and nodded also. Gradually, most of the people warmed up to Severus, excluding the twins, the youngest of the Weasley's, and Potter himself.

"How can you all trust him after what he did?" Potter snapped.

"I trust him," the uninjured twin stated, earning a scathing look from Potter. "He saved George, and Remus, Harry. We have to be grateful for that,"

Severus noticed that Miss Weasley's eyes flickered between Potter's and her brother, and that the youngest Mr. Weasley stood his ground by Potter.

"He killed Dumbledore! Does that mean anything to any of you?"

"Harry," Hermione began stepping forward. "Of course losing Dumbledore is hard for everyone, especially you, but we need to stick together through this. I saw it myself, it wasn't done out of cold blood,"

"Please Hermione, you'd follow him to hell and back before you finally realize he is nothing but a murderer," Harry snapped, glaring at Severus.

"Someday, Harry, you'll learn to get over your obsession with what happened in your father's past, and then perhaps you can see what Professor Snape has been trying to do!" she snapped viciously.

"Severus, Hermione, I'd like to speak to you alone," Remus said quickly defusing the tension in the room.

"You can use the room upstairs, to the left," Molly said quietly.

Remus nodded and began ascending the stairs, followed by Hermione, and then Severus. They entered a small bedroom, and Hermione instantly sat on the squeaky mattress, and Severus noticed how she pulled his travelling cloak tighter around herself, nearly being swallowed in the thick material. He couldn't help it as his eyes roamed her face, which he noticed was pale and strained.

Remus stood at the window, and sighed deeply before turning to face them.

"Before Dumbledore passed away, he gave me a letter. I was to tell you what the letter contained,"

As he said this, Remus pulled an envelope with emerald writing out from his robes. Severus was tense, but he leaned against the doorway like he was in his element. His eyes flickered to Hermione who had her wide brown eyes glued to Remus. Clearing his throat, Remus began reading.

"_Dear Remus,_

_If you receive this, it is because I, sadly, am gone. I've asked Minerva to deliver this to you. Once you read this, I want you to inform Hermione and Severus of its contents. _

_Remus, you must make sure to watch out for Hermione and Severus, no matter what. You are the only one who knows of their marriage, and you must protect that. Hermione is very valuable to our cause._

_Read this to Severus: Severus, you need to keep Miss Granger safe. Keep yourself in control, no matter what. She will be put through trying situations, many of them you will find inhumane, but she is strong and will be able to handle anything Voldemort decides to force on her. She will be a target to many people now, and I advise that she does not go to Hogwarts for her 7__th__ year. If I am correct in my assumptions, Miss Granger, more than ever, will be targeted because of her blood status. The bottom line is to keep Hermione safe, under any circumstance. _

_Hermione: I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am that you've decided to help Harry out. Things will become very difficult, but you need to stay strong, and I know that you are more than capable of doing so. Hermione, remember what you promised me. You must keep that promise, no matter what. If you break it, everything we have worked for would fall apart into nothing. Harry needs you, we all need you. Even if you're ready to give up, you cannot break that promise._

_Good luck to you all. Voldemort's plan is to try and turn the Order against itself, but that must not happen. You must all trust each other, and you must all look out for one another. Keeping your faith in this cause will help you restore our world to its former glory._

_Albus Dumbledore_

No one made a move or a sound. They simply looked at one another. Severus immediately noticed Hermione's red eyes, and he knew she was on the verge of crying.

"What did you promise him?" Severus asked softly keeping his eye trained solely on her.

"I can't say," she instantly muttered.

"I swear to God, if he forced you into anything-"

"He didn't. He asked if I would do him a favor, and I told him that I promised it would be done,"

Severus groaned and ran his hand over his face. Why would she do that?

"Not all promises are meant to be kept," he added, looking at her again.

"I fully intend to keep this one," she said almost tenderly with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Is this going to put you in danger?" Remus asked eyeing her closely.

"I'll be safe, don't worry," she said giving Remus a knowing smile before briefly flashing her eyes at Severus.

"This whole plan with Hermione practically throwing herself at the Dark Lord," Remus said harshly. "When is this supposed to happen?"

"Any day now. She'll stay here for the time being, unless she needs to be moved again. When school starts….I guess I can sneak her in. She can stay in my quarters, but she won't be going to lessons,"

"What is she going to do, sit around all day waiting for her death? What of Harry and Ron?" Remus asked.

"It's fine, really," Hermione finally spoke up. "We…the three of us weren't going to go back to school this year,"

"Why not? Or are you going to keep that from us also?" Remus said, becoming frustrated.

"Dumbledore set us something to do, and we need to do it. We can't tell anyone," she said, slightly taken aback by his sudden harshness.

"Hermione, you can't do this alone,"

"We have no choice," she replied in a tone that suggested that the conversation was over.

"Just remember what I told you when we were at Grimmauld Place, okay?"

"I will," she said with a smile.

Remus gave her a quick one armed hug before heading towards the door.

"Thank you again, Severus, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you,"

"Don't mention it," Severus replied gruffly.

Remus left the room, and Severus waited until his footsteps died away.

"What did he tell you?" he questioned.

She raised her eyes to his face, and gave a shy sort of smile.

"He just wants me to keep in touch with him, that's all. It worries him, with Harry going off alone and Voldemort looking for him. He's afraid for us all,"

"How do you expect to help Potter and walk in front of the Dark Lord at the same time?" Severus asked.

"That's my business," she said jutting her chin out slightly.

"Damn it! Can you tell me anything that might be useful? Or am I supposed to trust the wonderful expertise of a seventeen year old girl? I can tell you now, even though you're bloody brilliant, I'm not going to follow you blindly into battle!"

"No, I'm sorry I can't be more useful because throwing myself willingly into that cult you're involved in isn't useful enough!"

The last time Severus had been accused of being part of a cult was when Lily told him they couldn't be friends anymore. Immediately Severus headed towards the door, and walked into the hallway, but he should have expected the girl to follow him.

"Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just…I have a lot going on right now," she muttered, still gripping his hand tightly.

Severus whirled on her, noticing that his cloak was barely hanging onto her shoulders now. He wanted to shake her until some sense found its way in. She was being so stupid! People could help them; they could help her if she let them!

"The Golden Trio seems to have everything planned out so perfectly, what could possibly be plaguing your genius mind?" he bit out with sarcasm.

Severus saw her eyes flash towards the stairs, waiting to see if anyone was near enough to hear them. Apparently she didn't trust the distance because she was suddenly pulling him back into the room they had just left. Calmly he strolled to the window and stared out across the yard. Once the door was shut with a snap, he turned to her.

He had to admit, she was pretty, in a sweet, innocent sort of way. Her hair seemed more tamed this time, but he liked it bushy as well, especially after working hard over a boiling caldron. She was pale, but she has been pale since this whole ordeal started. Hermione sighed and pulled his cloak around herself again, and eyed him warily.

"What, Granger?" he said with a sigh.

"I altered my parent's memories," she blurted out quickly.

"Come again?"

"I wiped their memories. All of them. Every single one of me is gone,"

"You didn't need to. The Order would have protected them," he said gruffly.

Hermione gave a single humorless laugh before sitting on the bed. Severus watched as she stretched out and then curled up on her side, clutching his cloak rather protectively in her hands.

"The Order is falling apart; a blind man can see that. The numbers are bad enough already, people can't be spared to stand around protecting two Muggles," she muttered, sounding heart broken.

Severus approached the bed, but did not touch it.

"When?" he asked solemnly.

"Almost a week ago,"

"Where have you been staying?"

"I've just been wandering. Eventually I went to Headquarters and found Remus, and then he told me what we would be doing tonight,"

"You could have called me," he said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm legally responsible for you now,"

"I couldn't do that, it wasn't an emergency,"

"You were wandering around! That's an emergency, especially considering the circumstances involving you in particular,"

"Well, if I'm ever wandering around again, I'll be sure to use my ring," she said with a smile in her voice.

"I wonder if these things really work?" Severus asked quietly while looking at the medal.

"Should we try them out?" Hermione asked.

"I don't see why not," Severus said, turning his ring once and feeling a slight warmth.

"Um…hello?" he said, unsure of himself.

Severus knew it had worked before Hermione had said anything because her eyes became wide. She pulled her hand out from the cloak and she sat up, showing him her ring. Sure enough, written with glowing silver script was the word 'hello'. Hermione then took her ring and turned it twice. Severus watched, amazed as her ring began to glow, and he was even more amazed when his began to glow and heat up.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

"The warmth?" he questioned.

"No, the vibration,"

He nodded, suddenly realizing that his ring was indeed buzzing on his finger.

"You were there that day," she suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"In Diagon Alley, you were there that day, I know you were,"

He looked at her for a moment and sighed.

"Yes, I was there. Being locking up in one's house for months gets tiresome. I had just gotten some books, and you were fighting with Weasley,"

"Yes," she said as a light blush covered her cheeks. "We were fighting,"

"That much was obvious,"

"He just doesn't…understand,"

"There's a lot that Weasley doesn't understand," Severus said with a smirk.

"Yes, that's true," she murmured, standing from the bed and shrugging his cloak off. "Even if this is just an arrangement, it is a marriage,"

Hermione held out the cloak for him, and he gently took it from her hands, studying her closely. For a moment, she stared down at him, straight into his eyes, barely breathing. Severus found the urge to reach out and touch the soft skin of her hand and feel her small finger wrap around his own. Or perhaps he could reach up and test how smooth the skin of her cheek was? Would it be as smooth as he remembered?

"I hope you come to the wedding…Bill's and Fleur's," she said softly before heading towards the door. "I…I would like you to come,"

Before Severus could turn and look at her, he heard the door click shut and her soft footsteps on the stairs. He sighed deeply, wondering what he could do with her. Every time he talked to her she seemed to age years. She had told him that she was willing to forgo a relationship with Weasley because she was married to him. Truthfully, he hadn't expected that much.

Severus couldn't help the feeling of…possessiveness over her. Legally, she was his. And her willingness to be faithful to him. _Him._ Severus Snape. It made his feeling of possessiveness even stronger. For the first time since Lily died, someone accepted him, wanted him even. Severus rubbed his chest as if trying to sooth a pain from his heart.

Without thinking, he pulled on his cloak and spent a moment smelling her scent on the fabric. Vanilla? It was soft, and smooth, gently caressing his senses. Severus felt like he was losing his mind.

Quickly, he made his way from the room and down the stairs. He snuck to the door due to the fact that most of the Order was still there. Just as his hand touched the knob, Mrs. Weasley called his name and suddenly appeared beside him.

"Of course you'll come to the wedding, won't you? We need all of the members of the Order we can get," she said excitedly.

He looked at the woman for a moment and almost instantly his eyes flashed over her shoulder, to a bushy head, making a point of hiding the owner's face.

"I'm not sure how busy I'll be, Mrs. Weasley," he said.

"Well, we would appreciate it if you could come. We could really use your help," she said gently.

"I'll see what I can do," Severus mumbled before leaving the house.

Quickly he made his way down the straight drive, waiting until he knew he had left the enchantments that surrounded the house. Pausing for a moment, he turned back towards the house, and somehow knew she would be watching him. Sure enough, she was in an upstairs window, watching him leave. With a sweep of his robes, he stepped outside the enchantments and then Apparated back to Spinner's End.


	16. Defending

**Hey guys! **

**Thanks for the reviews, lets try and break 100! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>A few days passed by, and one morning Severus awoke to an owl tapping at his window. Grumbling, he rolled out of bed and let the owl in.<p>

"Would you be quiet!" he snapped when the owl wouldn't stop screeching.

Instantly the owl fell silent and stuck its leg out, refusing to look at Severus. The instant the note left the owl's leg, it took off, making sure to hit Severus in the face with its wing.

"Thanks for that," Severus snapped.

Instantly he recognized the handwriting, he was forced to read it for nearly six years.

_The wedding is today. I hope you come._

Severus couldn't find it in himself to reject her anymore. Plus, he couldn't deny the fact that spending a day with her was very tempting. His will was crumbling faster and faster every day. Severus made no point on dressing better than he normally did, keeping his black robes on. He stared at himself in the mirror for quite some time, noticing how pale he looked with his sunken eyes and shallow cheek bones. Well, there wasn't any helping him now.

He strolled outside glancing up and down the road quickly before Apparating. When he arrived, he wished he hadn't come at all. There were dozens of people around, all dressed up and enjoying themselves. Severus groaned out loud at the sight. Before anyone could spot him, he took up his post at the outside of the wedding tent, scrutinizing everyone that walked by.

"Hello, Severus,"

He turned to find Remus standing beside him, studying the guests with a small smile on his face.

"Remus," Severus said in a bored tone.

"Come, it's a wedding! Cheer up!"

"I'm simply here for the Order, and that is all," Severus said folding his arms behind his back.

"I'll tell Hermione that," the man said before walking away with a grin.

Severus watched as all of the guests were seated, but the bushy hair he had been subconsciously waiting for did not show. Molly Weasley suddenly appeared in front of him, making him draw back slightly.

"Oh! Severus, I'm so glad you could make it! Come, sit here. The ceremony is about to start!"

Molly lead him to the back row of chairs, and sat him down, leaving the one nearest to the aisle opened. He watched as the woman darted down the aisle and took her seat, grinning wider than Severus thought was humanly possible. Just as the music started, and Severus debated making a dash from the tent, a flash of red suddenly blurred his vision, forcing him to remain in his seat as people began to make their way down the aisle.

"Sorry I'm late," Hermione whispered quickly, straightening out her dress. "I'm glad you came," she added with a small smile.

He nodded once, just as the bride began to walk. They all stood and turned towards the aisle, watching Fleur glide past. Severus took this time to study the woman next to him. She was stunning in her red dress, and she was nearly as tall as him with heels, but he was rather intrigued by the beaded bag that she had draped across her body. To him, it was a rather odd accessory. He watched as she smiled at the bride, seeming to brim with happiness at the sight.

Once they were all seated, Severus blocked the words out, not caring for a moment that he was at a wedding. His eyes kept straying to his right, watching the few strands of her hair that had escaped from the clip. And suddenly everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering while wiping their eyes. Severus stood also, just as the chairs disappeared. Before Hermione could turn to him, he slipped away, and began looking to the sky for any sign of a disturbance. Severus noticed that many of the other members also took up posts around the tent.

The music floated through the darkening sky and laughter sprinkled the sweet air. Remus had tried to relieve him of his post, but he had refused. Severus made a point of rotating with the others, and had the unfortunate sight of seeing Weasley and Hermione dancing…more than once. Finally, Severus found the darkest part of perimeter of the tent, and resolved to stay there until the horrendous event was over. He would be able to sulk in peace.

"Why don't you take a break?"

He tensed at her presence. Severus now wished she _was_ dancing with Weasley.

"I don't want to; I'm perfectly fine here,"

Hermione stood beside him, staring across the sky quietly. Soft music began to play, and Severus wished he had stayed home more than anything.

"Dance with me?" she asked softly.

"I believe Weasley is a more willing partner," he bit out.

"Ron still has some…misconceptions," she said awkwardly.

"How could he possibly still have those?" Severus snapped sarcastically.

"I guess I'll have to talk to him," she muttered, sounding rejected and turning away.

Severus gave a frustrated sigh.

"Granger,"

"Yes?" she asked turning back around.

He held out his hand, staring at her. She stood staring back at him, as if expecting something more from him. Severus sighed again.

"Hermione,"

With that, she slowly walked up to him and placed her hand gently in his. He felt the smoothness of her skin and the warmth. Severus pulled her forward gently, so they were standing directly in front of one another. He placed his hand on her waist, slowly sliding it around to the small of her back so he could pull her against him. Hermione instantly wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and slowly he began moving them.

Severus had never liked dancing, he didn't even know how, but this was enough for him. If they stood still, he would have been happy about it. He bent his head slightly, so his nose grazed her hair, and instantly smelled the smooth vanilla. Severus felt her hand tighten on the back of his robes as her nose grazed his neck, causing goose bumps to rise on his flesh. The two turned slowly, and Severus knew that the boundaries that he had tried to put between them were nearly non-existent. He relished the feeling of her in his arms, his thick cloak nearly enveloping her.

All too soon the song ended, in one long cord, and the two stopped, but didn't pull themselves apart. A livelier tune began, and Severus loosened his grip on her, and she the same on him. Their arms fell to their sides and their fingers drew apart, but he could still feel her breath on his neck. She moved a fraction of an inch away from him, and Severus couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

"Thank you," she whispered before disappearing inside the tent.

The night went on, and Severus slipped inside the tent for a moment, rubbing his eyes. Instantly, a Patronus appeared in the middle of the room, and Severus fought his way forward to hear what the message was.

"….They are coming….They are coming…"

His eyes flashed to Hermione's which were glued on him. Severus made a move to reach for her, but panic ensued.

Screaming. Running. Apparating. Flashes of light.

Severus couldn't distinguish anything that was going on. He was looking for a flash of red. Weasley reached her…and a few moments later Potter did the same. Severus fought his way forward as tables flipped around him.

"Hermione!" he shouted, not bothering to keep himself in check.

Her eyes instantly sought his, and the panic he saw in them made his heart clench. She could have left, gone with Potter and Weasley, but he saw her hand reach out to him, and he lunged forward, feeling her fingers grasp tightly onto his. In an instant, the chaos fell away, replaced by what sounded like a city. Severus opened his eyes and saw that he was standing beside a busy road in the center of a chaotic place, but he had no idea where. Before he could ask, he felt Hermione tugging him away, and he followed close beside her.

"What's he doing here?" Weasley squeaked.

"Not here Ron, we have to change," she replied breathlessly while tugging them down an alleyway.

They dodged into a small crevice where Hermione began to dig in her bag, pulling out clothing left and right, handing the articles to each boy.

"Hurry and go change," she snapped, pulling out more clothes for herself.

The two scurried off and changed while Hermione handed Severus the bag and turned her back.

"Unzip me?"

He did as he was told and watched as she slipped away to go and change. Severus stood and waited. The boys returned and glared at him and a few moments later Hermione returned, taking her bag from Severus. He could see the panic on her face as she dug through her bag.

"You two need to go to Headquarters, okay?" she began, pulling a large backpack out of her bag and handing it to Potter.

"What are you doing with my rut sack?" Potter asked eyeing her.

"I've had the essentials packed for days, just in case something happened. Anyway, you need to keep out of sight, the Ministry is gone," she looked up at the two. "We're on our own now,"

The two looked positively frightened, until Potter looked at him.

"Well, he'll go and rat us out to his little Death Eater friends," Potter snapped.

"Harry, please, we need to stick together, so stop biting people's heads off,"

"Hermione, how can you trust him?"

"I do, Dumbledore did," Hermione said resolutely.

"Well, I don't,"

"Harry, this isn't about you anymore! It's about all of us, so just swallow your pride for two seconds so we can think straight!"

"Hermione, what are we going to do?" Weasley asked.

"I've put an Undetectable Extension Charm on Harry's bag; all of your things are in there. I put clothes, books, some potions just in case anything goes wrong, and I put two Galleons in there. I have the other one. You can contact me through them, just like we did for the DA meetings,"

"Wait," Harry said. "You're…you're coming with us, right?"

Severus watched as her face fell, and she swallowed deeply.

"No, Harry, I'm not,"

"What? We need you Hermione; we can't do this without you!"

"That's what the Galleon's are for. I will help you, Harry, but I can't go with you,"

Severus noticed how she took a small step sideways, so she was standing directly next to him.

"Where are you going to go?"

"I…I promised some things, I'll be fine, really. And if I do need help, I'll tell you guys immediately," she said quietly.

"You're going with him, aren't you?" Potter said coldly.

"That doesn't matter, you guys need to go, now, before we're found," she said quickly.

"Hermione, we can hardly Apparate," Harry said.

"Fine, I'll take you," Hermione said taking their hands. "I'll be right back," she muttered to Severus.

Before he could say anything, she vanished with the two boys. Severus stood there, moving to hide himself in the shadows. He still couldn't believe that she was _not _going with her two dunderhead friends, instead she was choosing to go with him. Did he even say she could go with him? Even if he didn't…he still would have allowed her to come. At least if she was with him, he knew she would be safe. But was she really?

Severus pressed his back against the brick wall of the building and listened to the people rushing by a few yards away. He couldn't deny the fact that his heart was pounding viciously in his chest as he waited anxiously in the dark. Finally he heard a pop, and he shoved off the wall to see her busy hair worse than usual.

"Hi," she muttered while straightening out her clothes.

"Are you sure about this?" Severus immediately asked her.

"Yes," she said instantly, though he knew that she was crying.

"You do understand that what I'm involved with-"

"I know you're involved in dangerous things, but I made a promise to Dumbledore," she muttered, heading back towards the street.

She pulled to a stop and turned on him, dragging her eyes up and down his figure. Severus was about to snap at her, but she spoke before he could say anything.

"You should change your clothes. You'll draw attention if you're dressed in robes,"

He pulled out his wand, grumbling while his transfigured his robes into a black shirt and pants. Even after he had put his wand away, Severus looked up to find that Granger was still staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she muttered, though he could see the blush rise in her cheeks.

"We should go," he said, walking past her.

Hermione stepped into line with him, locking her hand around his forearm as they entered the sidewalk filled with people who were leaving work or going out for the night. He stopped suddenly at a street crossing along with dozens of people.

"Which way?" she asked.

"How should I know? I've never been here before; you're the one who decided to come here,"

"I came here once…when I was seven,"

"Well that's comforting," he muttered as everyone began walking.

Severus began walking and noticed that Hermione hadn't walked with him.

"Come on," he said glancing over his shoulder and holding his hand out behind him, urging her to take it.

In a flash he felt her fingers slide through his and squeeze tightly.

"I don't know what to do," she murmured in a panic. "I don't even know if I told Harry and Ron the right things. What if that's what they are expecting? What if they get caught because of me?"

"The Death Eater's know where Headquarters is, but they can't get in, the door doesn't appear to them because they are not Secret Keepers,"

"They're safe?"

"For the time being," he murmured, weaving through people.

"Can we just stop? Please? I-I can't think,"

Severus continued walking, until they came to a dingy café, and pulled her inside. Immediately Hermione sank into a booth, giving panicked glances around the room. Severus sat across from her, perfectly at ease.

"You know you don't have to do this," he said brushing a piece of lint from his arm.

"It's not that I don't want to…but this is the first time that I've not gone with Harry and Ron-"

"On one of your many adventures?"

"Well…yes. We've been together since we walked through the doors of Hogwarts, and to not be with them when we're doing the most important things in our lives…it's just scary,"

"You could have gone with them," he said, becoming agitated.

"No…I promised Dumbledore something,"

"And you're not going to tell me what that is," he snapped.

"I promised him, that no matter what, I wouldn't leave you alone,"

The two fell silent, staring at one another. He noticed that she was suddenly calmer, more determined.

"What?" he asked hoarsely.

"I told him that I wouldn't leave you alone. He asked me just to keep you company, and I promised him that I would stay with you,"

"Why would you do that?"

"You need someone to be with you through this. Harry has Ron, and you have me,"

Before he could respond, the waitress came over, asking for their orders.

"Nothing for me," Hermione said.

"Coffee," he muttered, rubbing his temple.

The waitress walked away with her pad, and the two remained silent.

"I know you're not happy about this, but I told Dumbledore that I would go to…_him_. I need you to help me with that. I don't know what to do,"

The way her eyes stared into his, desperately, begging him to help her…how could he say no? The waitress placed the cup of coffee in front of him, and he nodded his head in thanks. He took a small sip, enjoying the bitterness on his tongue.

"I need your help," she whispered.

Gently, he placed the cup down and looked up at her.

"Please,"

"Well, if I didn't, what would all of this be for?" he said, gesturing to the gold on his finger.

"I'm going to ruin everything, aren't I? Just because I had to be over eager and desperate to do something, I'm going to get us all killed,"

"No you are not," he snapped, causing her to sit back slightly. "Through all of the years of your ridiculous shenanigans with Potter, you've never once lost your nerve. Granted, this is going to be difficult, not to mention mentally trying, but you'll get through this just like you got through the past six years,"

"I'm going in front of the Dark Lord; it's certainly different than anything I've done before,"

"That is why…Dumbledore," he managed to force out the name. "Entrusted the task with me,"

"You will help me, won't you?" she asked softly.

"Well I can't exactly throw you at his mercy, can I? I promised to keep you safe, and I intend to do so,"

"Thank you," she muttered.

They sat for a moment in silence as he drank his coffee. Severus noted that Hermione seemed slightly more relaxed now, thinking clearer than before. Of course he would help her. He wasn't a heartless git; he did have feelings and emotions. No one would ever know that though because he always bottled them up. Her eyes kept flashing to her watch every so often, driving him nearly insane.

"Do you need to know the time every two minutes?" he finally snapped over the rim of his cup.

"Do you think they're asleep?" she blurted out.

"How should I know when Potter and Weasley sleep?" Severus snapped.

"Should I go and check on them?" she asked.

"Absolutely not!"

Hermione jumped as he slammed the cup on the table.

"I've risked my life to make sure you are safe, and I will not have you gallivanting around when nearly everyone in the magic community is after Potter!"

Hermione remained silent, and then saw that he was finished with his coffee. Digging into her pocket, she threw some bills on the table and stood.

"We really should go; we've been here for too long already. No doubt they're looking for me also,"

Severus stood, and the two left the café, sticking to the shadows. He couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to her. Severus swore that the more he looked at her, the better she looked. Her jaw was set determinedly as they marched down the sidewalk. Her blazing brown eyes flashed back and forth across the street, searching for anything that may be out of the ordinary. He was pulled out of his thoughts as a group of men began wolf whistling from across the street.

"Disgusting," Hermione muttered, keeping her head down.

"Hey, why don't you come over here? We'll show you a good time," one of the men slurred.

Severus gripped his wand tighter in his hand as he instinctively walked closer to her. One of the men stumbled across the street and stood in front of them, reeking of stale beer.

"Ditch the old man, and come home with me,"

In a flash Severus shoved the man against a metal garage door, the sound echoing down the street, and pressed his wand against his throat. The man whimpered and begged for a moment for his life, until he saw the wand.

"What are you going to do? Beat me with a twig?"

Roars of laughter erupted from around them, and Severus was a moment away from hexing the man until he was put into the hospital.

"Severus!" Hermione cried and grabbed his arm, attempting to pull him off the other man. "Not here! We have to go!"

At her touch, he relaxed his body voluntarily, trying not to scare her. The man, now freed, rubbed his neck, giving a breathless laugh.

"He threatened me with a stick? Did you see that?" the man called to his friends on the other side of the street.

Severus cocked his arm, and instantly slammed the man in the face with his fist, causing him to crash to the ground in a heap, wailing at the top of his lungs.

"My nose! You broke my bloody nose!" the man cried, rolling around as blood spewed from his face.

"If you had a shred of intelligence in you, you'd know how to properly treat a woman," Severus barked, rubbing his knuckles. "So help me if I ever hear you talk to a woman like that again, I'll do a whole lot more than break your bloody nose. That goes for the lot of you,"

The men on the other side of the street stared at him dumbly as if they didn't contain a single brain cell. Severus felt a tug at his sleeve, and looked to find a pale and scared woman beside him. He wanted to kick the man, but Hermione dug her nails into his skin.

"Come on…please, can we go?"

She didn't wait for a response before heading down the sidewalk, forcefully tugging at his arm. Severus rubbed his knuckles harder because they were really starting to throb now. The two stumbled into a deserted alley, and she turned on him.

"Where are we going?" she snapped.

"To my home, I suppose. We don't really have much of a choice," he grounded out, his blood still boiling from the events that transpired.

"Can you Apparate us there?"

She was clearly angry, which only made him even more furious than before. Without giving her a word of warning, he wrapped an arm around her waist, yanking her against him before Apparating to Spinner's End. The moment their feet touched the ground, he released her and began walking towards his home. No doubt she would sneer at it.

Severus threw open the door and stepped aside so she could step in. The minute she was in, he slammed the door shut, and put the wards back up. Flicking his wrist, the candles in the sitting room burst alive, revealing dusty shelves with books covering nearly every wall.

"I'm sure this isn't as grand as you're used to," he sneered.

"It's…wonderful," she said as a smile found its way onto her face. "I love it, really," she added upon seeing the look on his face.

Severus walked into the room, instantly pouring himself some Firewhiskey and downing the entire glass. Hermione's sudden gasp made him freeze.

"Your hand!" she cried.

He looked down to see his bruised and swollen knuckles.

"Well, that's unfortunate,"

"Come on, I'll help you with that,"

"It's fine,"

"Just…where's the kitchen?"

Severus showed her where the kitchen was, and she instantly went to the freezer.

"You don't have any frozen bags of anything?" she asked.

"No,"

Pulling out the empty ice cube trays, she filled them with water, froze them, and then conjured a rag.

"Sit,"

Severus did as he was told. He watched as she broke the ice cubes out of their molds and into the rag. She took his hand and pulled it towards her before gently placing the rag on his knuckles. Severus hissed, but she held his hand tightly.

"You shouldn't have punched that man in the face,"

"He shouldn't have been acting like an inbred pig,"

"Besides the fact that punching someone is borderline barbaric…thank you,"

Severus raised his eyebrows at her.

"For defending me like that,"

He noticed that she shifted in her chair and refused to meet his eyes. Sighing deeply, he looked down as where she was tenderly holding his hand in hers.

"You're welcome," he murmured.

They fell into a silence, and he continued to pour himself drinks, even offering her a sip, which she gratefully took. Suddenly she laughed, and he looked up at her, but her eyes were still on the rag.

"I punched Draco Malfoy in the face once," she said quietly.

Severus was sure that his face was frozen in shock.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

She laughed, throwing her head back.

"I punched him in the face…in our third year,"

Her smile was simply radiant, and he felt his chest swell before he began laughing. Hermione was clearly shocked at the action, but she laughed again along with him.

"Why would you punch him in the face?" he finally asked with a smile on his face.

"Buckbeak was going to be executed, and Malfoy took his little gang out there to watch. I was positively furious, but Harry and Ron stopped me from hexing him. He started being cocky, so I just punched him,"

"Who would have thought," Severus said, finishing off his glass again.

"Honestly, I can't remember feeling that good…ever,"

"Remind me not to piss you off," he said with a smirk.

Hermione smirked at him, and then looked at his knuckles with a frown.

"How hard did you hit him?" she asked.

"Hard enough to break his nose apparently,"

"Do your knuckles hurt?"

"I can move them, if that's what you're asking,"

"They're purple,"

He looked down at his hand and saw how horrible they looked.

"You could have just used a healing charm," he said, knowing full well that he would have done the same as she did.

"I like doing things the Muggle way, it makes me appreciate magic more,"

Severus stared at her for a long while, and she stared firmly back. He didn't want anything more than to kiss her at the moment. His mind flashed to Christmas night, the two of them pressed together, desperately clinging to one another. Looking away and clearing his throat, he stood from the table.

"I think we should turn in for the night, we've had a long day. Come, I'll show you to your room,"

He quickly made his way up the stairs and threw opened a door.

"This will be your room, for the time being. My room is the next one over, if you should need anything. Unfortunately, there is only one bathroom," he said pointing to a door farther down the hall.

She smiled at him, and his heart jumped.

"Thank you, for everything you've done," she said quietly.

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly while heading towards his room.

"Professor?" she called after him.

"Severus,"

"What?"

"You can call me Severus, seeing as I'm no longer your teacher and legally, well, you understand,"

"Good night, Severus,"

"Good night, Hermione,"

Severus slipped into his room and threw himself on the bed without undressing. His thoughts revolved around the brown eyed beauty, sleeping feet away from him.


	17. Important News

**Hey!**

**Thanks for all the reviews! One short of 100!**

**Read and review please! (They make me smile...a lot :D)**

* * *

><p>Hermione awoke the next morning in a daze. Peering around the room, she had no idea where she was.<p>

_Oh no, I was caught at the wedding, wasn't I? They're going to kill me._

But then everything came rushing back to her. Sending Harry and Ron away, having coffee with Severus, him punching the man in the face. She felt a smile spread on her face at the thought. The man had been extremely rude to her, and Severus had punched him square in the nose in her defense. Granted he had severely injured himself, but he had no doubt defended her.

Also, he had asked her to call him by his first name. The only time she used his name was if she was completely petrified. Hermione knew that her imagination wasn't playing tricks on her, but he had stared at her with such intensity that made her stomach clench and her heart beat faster. Severus had been more open to her touches; he even took her hand when they were dodging through the people on the sidewalk.

Perhaps under his cold, austere expression, he had feelings for her?

Nearly every night she thought about the moment he kissed her, and wished more than anything that he would do so again. But he had disappeared for nearly seven months, leaving her utterly alone and afraid. Honestly, she just wanted to hit him when he came back, but then he had showed her that he was in fact, innocent. Hermione wanted to kiss him right then and there, but seeing as only she, Severus and Remus knew about the marriage, it would have destroyed their cover.

Hermione sighed deeply as her thoughts drifted to Harry and Ron. They were probably just waking up, staring at each other without a clue in the world to help them. They had practically begged her to stay and help them, but she promised to stay with Severus.

Speaking of, she heard movement in the room next to hers, and she knew he was awake.

What were they going to do now? The thought made her sick to her stomach. Once she was taken to the Dark Lord, she would hold all of their lives in her hand. Severus had promised to help her, and she was putting all of her hope in that. She knew that he was uncomfortable with the idea, but she had promised to play her part. Hell, she even _married_ him to do so.

Stretching, Hermione climbed out of bed and strolled downstairs, set on finding something for breakfast. When raiding the cabinets, she found more empty glass bottles of Firewhiskey than she would have liked to admit, and threw them out. Obviously he had a knack for drinking more than he could handle. Well, he wouldn't be doing that anymore, not while she was around.

Hermione found some eggs in the refrigerator…and not much else. Clearly, one of them would have to go shopping or they'd starve to death. She made quick work of making scrambled eggs and just placed the plates on the table as Severus came strolling into the room.

"I can't believe you found something suitable to eat in this house," he said, moving to the stove and grabbing a kettle.

She watched as he manually set the kettle up with a smile on her face.

"You could have used magic," she mentioned, digging into her eggs.

"I like doing things the Muggle way, it makes me appreciate magic more. Isn't that what you said?"

Hermione blushed and lowered her eyes to her plate as he joined her. A tap at the window made her jump and drop her fork. Severus was immediately on his feet with his wand out.

"It's only an owl," he said, opening the window, allowing the creature in.

The owl dropped the Daily Prophet on the table and Severus paid the bird. Hermione opened the paper and stared blankly at the front page.

"Oh my God,"

Harry was on the front page, staring coldly and blankly back at her, and the headline was in large bold letters: **UNDESIRABLE No. 1**

Quickly Hermione read the story, and her heart was at her feet halfway through the article. Finally, she pushed the paper away, and Severus retook his seat, no longer being able to read over her shoulder. Hermione dropped her plate into the sink before turning off the whistling kettle. Without a single word, she walked upstairs to take a shower.

Once she was dressed, she headed back downstairs, her mind clear and refreshed. Searching for a moment, she found Severus in the sitting room with his glasses on, a book in his lap and a cup of tea on the table. She took a seat, staring at him.

"You'll be happy to know that the entire magic world has refrained from ruthlessly hunting you down," he said.

"What?"

"I've spoken to the Dark Lord. His desire to have your mind fresh and untroubled has forced him to call off the dogs, so to speak. You are valuable to him, and I've told him that I need time to get you ready,"

"Get me ready?"

"I need to convince you that the Dark side is the side which has been telling the truth and all that almighty garbage about Dumbledore being a fraud is true. I've told him that I need time to convince you to go willingly to him,"

"How much time?"

"A month. I explained that you were shocked at the events that occurred at the wedding, and that you need time to recover,"

"When did you do all of this?"

"When you were taking a shower,"

"What!" she cried, jumping up.

"I don't see a problem with that," he said looking up from his book and pulling his glasses from his face.

"You don't see the problem? You left me alone! You left me here, by myself. Anyone could have just walked in and killed me!"

"You're being a little over dramatic. No one comes here anymore, they're afraid,"

"I don't care what they are," she said settling back on the sofa. "Just don't leave me alone again, I'm scared,"

"What are you scared about?" he asked, not at all mocking her.

"I don't know, everything now," Hermione muttered, gazing at the bookshelves.

"You don't have anything to be afraid of, okay?"

Hermione looked at him for a moment, and she could feel herself crumbling.

"Everything's falling apart now. The Order, the Ministry, our _world_, what is there _not_ to be afraid of?" she said softly.

"We're in the middle of a war, things are going to crumble beneath our feet," Severus said, closing the book and placing it beside him.

"I've had to destroy my parents memories, leave my best friends alone, and now I have to face _him_ and try to convince him not to kill the people I care about,"

Hermione instantly noticed the slightly crest fallen look on his face, which he tried to mask by picking up his book again.

"You're included in that category,"

"I'm sorry?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers.

"I do care about you,"

Hermione desperately wanted to tack on that she cared for him more than just a teacher or friend, but she couldn't find the words to say. Hopefully the blush rushing across her face would be enough to convey her feelings.

The day passed slowly for Hermione. Severus went to the market to buy some more food for them, and while he was gone, Hermione took it upon herself to clean the kitchen, thoroughly. When he returned, she was sitting at the table with a cup of tea, reading the paper more levelheaded than the first time she scanned the article. Severus dumped two bags on the counter, looking rather angry.

"You cleaned?" he asked, peering around.

"Yes," Hermione answered, getting up to empty the bags.

She was rather surprised at how well he did considering it didn't look as if he shopped much for himself.

"It's…nice,"

"Nice?" she asked, putting a loaf of bread in the cupboard.

"The last time I can remember someone caring for this house was when I was probably eleven," he said, turning a page in the paper she had left on the table.

Hermione felt sorry for him, immensely, but she knew he wouldn't appreciate her pity. Instead, as she went to head towards the sitting room, she gently brushed her fingers across the top of his hand before leaving the room. They ate a silent dinner of spaghetti, and Hermione went to bed early. A few hours later she heard Severus quietly make his way to his room. With a sigh she looked past the foot of her bed, to the door, but she couldn't see the door. Instead, there was the smoky image of a man at the foot of her bed.

The instant she let out a bloodcurdling scream, the image disappeared. Hermione scrambled from the bed and threw open her door before dashing into the hallway. Immediately she crashed into Severus who had his wand drawn, ready to fight.

"What?" he asked as Hermione clung to his robes.

"There was somebody in my room!"

Severus managed to pry her fingers from his shirt before entering her room. Hermione shivered in the hallway as she heard him searching every nook and cranny before coming back out.

"There's no one there," he said.

"I saw him! He was standing at the foot of my bed, staring at me!"

"You could have been dreaming," he said, slipping his wand away.

"I wasn't, I heard you go to bed, and then I saw the Death Eater!"

"Death Eater?" he asked, his interest growing.

"Yes, he was sort of smoky. I've seen how they Apparate, when we were attacked in the Ministry in our fifth year, we all saw what they looked like,"

He stared at her for a long moment and finally sighed.

"Just…go back to sleep,"

"I'm not going back in there,"

"Then where do you think you're sleeping?"

"I don't know…downstairs,"

"It's freezing down there," he snapped.

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her towards his room. Throwing the door open he unceremoniously shoved her inside. Hermione found that he fireplace was lit, making the room oddly warm. He had apparently been reading because there was an open book on the floor beside the bed, suggesting he had forgotten it when she screamed. He scooped the book up and placed it gently on the bedside table before climbing into the bed.

"Do you plan on sleeping standing up?" he asked, extinguishing the candle on his side.

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude,"

"If I wasn't sure I would have forced you to sleep in the cellar,"

Without another word she made her way to the other side of the bed, and silently slipped between the sheets. There was an awkward silence in the room, making it nearly impossible for her to sleep. Hermione tilted her head towards him, and apparently he felt the shift because he turned over on his side, putting his back towards her. She listened to his breathing, hearing it slow to a point that she knew he was asleep. With a sigh, she turned her back to him, but was met with a hand being pressed over her mouth, causing her to give a small squeal of surprise.

"Shut up before I kill you,"

Hermione was breathing heavily while clawing at the hand that was clamped on her mouth. She squirmed, causing the man to grab her neck and squeeze, but she managed to strike Severus with her foot, but she was afraid that he didn't wake.

"Now, we're going to take a little trip, Mudblood, without your bodyguard,"

Before Hermione could process the words, she saw a body lunge over her. The hand on her mouth and throat instantly disappeared as a flash of light filled the room. Hermione scrambled to the other side of the bed and quickly jumped from it, her legs tangled in the sheets.

"How dare you come into my house and threaten my wife!"

The man's eyes widened farther.

"Ah, you didn't know, did you?" Severus mocked slightly. "Yes, we are married, and yes, the Dark Lord knows. If you were remotely important, you'd know that her safety was not to be compromised. The Dark Lord will be hearing of this, you can be certain of that,"

Hermione didn't see how, but the man suddenly went flying through the widow, hitting the ground below with a sickening thud. Severus repaired the window, and immediately eyed her, pressed against the wall.

"Hermione?" he asked walking around the bed towards her.

"I told you there was a man there, and you didn't believe me," she said, still shaking. "He was going to take me,"

"I wouldn't have let that happen," he said reaching out for her.

Hermione flung herself onto him, pressing her face into his chest. She couldn't stop her shaking; the fact that she was inches away from being taken from him scared her more than she cared to admit. Severus was the only person she had left now. Her parents didn't know who she was, Harry and Ron were gone, the Weasley's couldn't speak to her in fear of condemning themselves, and Remus had to go into hiding.

She felt his arms slowly wind themselves around her body, and Hermione sighed deeply. She was immensely comforted by his arms. His body radiated strength, safety, and warmth, and Hermione never wanted to leave this spot. Once her shaking had stopped for the most part, Severus pulled away.

"We should get some sleep,"

Without another word, she climbed into bed, sliding over so he could get in. They settled in, and Hermione turned to him.

"What if he comes back?" she asked quietly.

"I'll put up some wards,"

Hermione listened to him mumble into the darkness words she didn't know, and felt herself becoming calmer. The minute she was sure he was done, she nearly flung herself at him, desperate for contact. Hermione felt him tense up, but nevertheless, his arms wrapped around her body, securely pulling her against him.

"You're safe, I won't let anything happen to you," he murmured into her hair.

She snuggled closer to him in response before slowly drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, the sunlight assaulted her eyes, causing her to turn her face away from the offending window. Breathing in deeply, she realized that she could hear a thumping beneath her ear. The night's events came rushing back to her, but she didn't dare move, knowing that she was indeed resting nearly on top of Severus. Hermione could feel her legs intertwined with his along with the sheets, pressing them together. Regardless, she wished she could stay there forever, enveloped in his warmth.

Hermione feigned sleep as she felt him stir beneath her. Immediately, she felt him tense. Apparently he had forgotten that she was there. Hermione felt his hand slightly shift on her waist, brushing across the area where her shirt had slightly lifted up during the night. Immediately, goose bumps rose on her skin, but his fingers were suddenly gone. Severus inhaled deeply and released a small sigh.

His fingers found their way to her tangled hair, which he gently touched, making sure to avoid any knots. Hermione felt herself drifting as his fingers gently stroked her hair in an almost hesitant manner. Just as she was about to slip away, she felt his fingers trail across her jaw, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.

She did not expect what happened next. Right when she thought he was going to go back to sleep, she felt his lips brush her forehead, a small sigh lingering in the air.

Gently, he eased her off of his chest and untangled their legs before silently slipping out of bed. The moment she heard the door close behind him, her eyes snapped opened, staring at it. Hermione could barely believe what had just happened. Severus Snape had been…tender? Her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought.

The months that he was away, she couldn't explain it, but her feelings grew more than she ever thought possible. The constant worry, the thoughts about them kissing at Headquarters and the weight of the ring on her finger made her realize that her feelings were far deeper than she originally thought. And now…after the events of the morning…Hermione was quite convinced that she was falling in love with Severus Snape.

Quickly she jumped out of bed, making sure that the shower was running before heading down stairs. She made breakfast, like she usually did, retrieved the paper and paid the owl. Hermione desperately ate, afraid of being in the same room with Severus. Once she was done, she took the paper to the sitting room and began reading, though she wasn't at all interested.

He came down the stairs a short while later, and Hermione took this chance to dart up the stairs and take a shower. She was able to clear her head under the hot spray of the water, and think rationally about what was going on.

Certainly she had feelings for him, but was love too strong of a word?

Her gut twisted, and she knew that it wasn't. The way she felt about him was far deeper than anything she has ever felt before. He wasn't just another someone, one of her friends that she was concerned about. The thought of him being in danger nearly made her sick to her stomach. She never wanted him to be hurt again, and God forbid if he should be killed…she wouldn't know how to go on with her life. He _was_ her life now, and Hermione was miraculously okay with that.

She found herself dressing slowly in her room, but a sudden burning sensation came from her pocket, and she realized what it was: the Galleon.

Snatching it quickly out, she looked at the words.

_Important news. Come ASAP._

Hermione had grabbed her wand and bag as fast as she could before running down the stairs, making enough noise to raise the dead. Finding Severus in the kitchen still, she ran in, not even bothering to hide her distressed state.

"Do you trust me?" she asked instantly.

"What happened?" he asked dropping his fork as his gaze swept over her face.

"Do you trust me?" Hermione asked again.

"Should I?"

"Severus, this is serious!"

"Yes, I suppose I do trust you. To an extent,"

"I'll be back in an hour, okay?"

Hermione didn't even wait for a reply before hurrying to the door.

"Hermione!"

She pulled up short, not being able to disobey him when he used that tone.

"Where are you going?" he asked, eyeing her closely.

"Harry and Ron need me," she said showing him the Galleon.

"Information be damned! You are not putting yourself in harm's way!"

"This is important! They wouldn't have asked me to go otherwise!"

"Absolutely not, it is far too dangerous, and I know for a fact that there are Death Eater's surrounding Headquarters, and they will not hesitate to kill you, even though they were told not to,"

"I promise to be careful. I won't do anything stupid or heroic, okay? They need me,"

Hermione watched the struggle on his face, causing the lines in his skin to deepen. His dark eyes burned deeply as he stared at her.

"If I tell you no, you'll fight me and go anyway and I risk you never coming back which would result in all of us being killed. If I say yes, and you are caught, they will kill you without a second thought,"

"Then I'll make sure I'm not caught,"

"You need to Apparate directly on the front step, that is how far the enchantments go. If you are so much as an inch off, you will be seen. This is going to take extreme accuracy and focus, but I have no doubt you'll be fine,"

Hermione nodded, gripping her bag tightly in her hands.

"Thank you," she whispered, heading towards the door.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"If for one second you doubt your safety, you are to contact me immediately. Do you understand?"

Hermione walked up to him and quickly kissed his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his freshly shaven skin. Without a backwards glance, she opened the door and slipped out into the foggy morning. Walking a short distance, she focused on the step at Headquarters, and turned on the spot.

Opening her eyes, she was met with a familiar worn down door. Hermione couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw at least half a dozen Death Eaters standing around. Quickly, she entered the house, shutting the door quietly behind her.

An idea suddenly struck her, and she turned her ring once, feeling a slight warmth.

"Umm…I made it and I'm safe," she said.

A moment later, the ring returned to its normal state.

Hermione looked up to see a dusty figure darting towards her. Instantly she screamed, causing the figure to burst.

"Hermione?"

"Harry!" Hermione cried dashing towards him and hugging him tightly.

Ron appeared a moment later and she hugged him also. The three made their way into the kitchen where Kreature was sulking in a corner. Sitting down, she listened to Harry retell what had been going on without her.

"But he's dead," Hermione said looking between the two boys.

"Yes, but he gave the real locket to Kreature, and supposedly Fletcher came through and stole it,"

"Well, where is he?"

"Kreature got him for us, he sold it. Care to guess who has it now?"

Hermione could tell that Harry was angry, so she just looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"Umbridge,"

"NO!" Hermione cried instantly.

"You know what this means, right?" Harry continued. "We have to break into the Ministry to get it,"

The three looked at one another coming to the realization that Harry's suggestion was the only way that they were going to get the Horcrux. Instantly, the three began planning viciously, relying mostly on Ron's knowledge of the Ministry.

"We'll need blueprints of the Ministry, so we can map this out," Hermione said.

"There aren't any books that are going to help us here, we've already looked," Ron said with a sigh.

"I'll look for something," Hermione said, her thoughts flitting to the expansive collection of books at Spinner's End.

Spinner's End! Hermione jumped up with a gasp.

"I have to go! I've completely lost track of time!"

"Hermione, you've just gotten here, you can't leave yet!"

"Harry, it's been two hours! I promised Severus I'd be back in an hour!"

"Snape? You're still with him?"

"Yes, Harry, where else did you think I would be?"

She reached the door and turned to look at her two best friends.

"I promise, everything is going fine with me, just trust me. I'll look for anything that can help us, and you do the same. Also, find a way to destroy the Horcrux, even if we find it, it won't do us any good not knowing how to destroy it," she muttered.

Quickly she said goodbye and then left the house, making sure not to pass the first stair. Turning quickly, she felt herself being pulled through space before stumbling back onto a foggy street. Hermione nervously made her way through the streets knowing for a fact that Severus was going to kill her because she was over an hour late.


	18. What More Do You Want?

**Hey! **

**WE BROKE 100 REVIEWS! YEY!**

**Read and enjoy and review all of my amazing readers!**

* * *

><p>Finding the door, she stumbled inside before quickly shutting it behind her. Hermione couldn't say she wasn't expecting to see him standing there, but the sight was still intimidating.<p>

"I'm sorry I'm so late, I lost track of time," she instantly said.

"Do you have any idea, whatsoever, of what I've had to go through?" he asked coldly, making her press against the door.

"It won't happen again," she offered weekly.

"Damn right it won't! You won't be leaving this house again!"

"You can't keep me here!"

"Is that a challenge?" he asked.

Hermione instantly turned for the door, but heard the lock click.

"Are you going to keep up this locking every door when we fight? I want to leave, now let me leave!"

"If you would stop running away from your problems, I wouldn't have to constantly lock doors in front of you,"

Hermione whirled around, angrily, but quickly calmed down upon seeing the look on his face. Severus leaned on the wall as if he couldn't support himself, and then she could see the pain clear in his eyes.

"What happened?" she cried darting to him in an effort to help.

"Nothing, stop trying to change the subject," he snapped.

"You're hurt," she said taking his arm and pulling him into the sitting room. "Just lay down and you can yell at me all you want,"

She watched as Severus stretched across the couch, closing his eyes and taking deep breathes. Hermione sat on the floor, near his head, unsure of what to do.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Bellatrix,"

Hermione gasped and saw the muscle working in his jaw.

"Was she here?" Hermione asked, scared that she was.

"No…I went to talk to the Dark Lord after last night…I ran into her, and when my back was turned…well, let's say that she has a slight inclination to curse people when their backs are turned,"

"That's horrible!"

"I've had worse," he muttered, his lip lifting in a sarcastic smile.

"Still," she muttered, peering at his pale face.

Instinctively Hermione reached up and gently brushed a piece of his hair from his face, causing his eyes to slowly peel open, peering at her. She held his gaze for a short moment before pulling her hand away and looking into her lap.

"I didn't think that you were coming back," he said quietly.

Hermione raised her eye to his in shock, and saw that he was desperately trying to hide his emotions.

"Of course I was going to come back! I would have never thought otherwise," she said studying his face. "I'll always come back, no matter what," she added quietly.

His eyes flashed at her, and Hermione's heart began to beat quicker. Severus pulled himself into a sitting position, staring down at her.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

"Why what?" she asked standing and sitting beside him.

"Why would you come back? You could go with your friends,"

"I promised Dumbledore-"

"He's dead; you no longer have to keep that promise,"

A moment of silence passed, and Hermione swallowed deeply.

"I care about you…you mean a lot to me,"

She was never more grateful to have her hair hiding her face. The silence in the room was nearly killing her, so Hermione made a move to leave the room, but a hand suddenly locked on her wrist. She froze, midstride to the door, and turned to face him. Hermione repositioned herself in front of him as he held her hand in between his own, nearly engulfing it. She was sure he'd be able to feel her pulse.

"I don't deserve this," he said, allowing some of his agony to seep into his voice.

Hermione allowed her free hand to gently brush against his cheek, soothing his discomfort.

"You deserve more than you know," she replied tenderly.

She watched as he lowered his gaze, clearly displaying his self-loathing to her, and Hermione ran her fingers once through his hair before gently pulling away and leaving the room, her heart pounding in her chest. Hermione instantly made herself a strong cup of tea while she heard him go…to the cellar? She had expected him to come up soon after, but he remained down there for many hours.

Hermione made dinner, and called him up, but he didn't immediately come up. Only after she was finished and browsing his book collection did he emerge. Immediately a smell of smoke filled the house, suggesting he had been brewing for a while. She struggled with finding a book that was going to help her with breaking in to the Ministry, so she poked her head into the kitchen and looked at him.

"You wouldn't happen to have books with blueprints of historical sights, would you?"

Hermione watched as his eyes rose from the plate and settled on her face as if the reason she wanted the book was written across her forehead.

"Should I even ask why you need such a book or will the reason want to make me lock you up for the next month?"

"I'm curious," Hermione replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Just like you were curious about Transfiguration?" Severus said leaning back in his chair.

"Well, do you have a book or not?" Hermione asked becoming impatient.

"If I do?"

"Then I would like to look at it,"

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'll need to find someplace that does, which would require me to leave the house, which could potentially result in my death, as I'm lead to believe,"

"Why don't you go to bed instead of getting yourself into more trouble, which I'm assuming will happen if you get a book like this,"

"Please?" she breathed out.

Instantly, she saw him crumble. Severus dropped his fork, allowing it to clatter harshly on the plate before standing up abruptly.

"Follow me," he snapped, taking on his 'teacher tone' and heading towards the basement.

Hermione did as he said, and began descending the narrow cellar stairs, into a room filled with smoke. Near the bottom of the stairs, there were boxes, boxes filled with books. She watched as he immediately began shoving some boxes aside, muttering words under his breath. Finally, he straightened up with a leather-bound book clutched in his hands.

"Perhaps this can help," he said handing her the book.

Immediately she began flipping through the book, finally coming across the prints that she needed, making sure he couldn't see.

"Thank you, it's perfect," she said closing the book while beaming at him.

"What do you plan to do with such a book?"

Her face immediately fell, and his cold demeanor reappeared.

"I suppose you can't tell me?"

"I'm sorry, I can't,"

The spent the next moment staring at one another, before he spoke.

"This is not going to work if we have secrets between us,"

"Dumbledore made us swear not to tell," she said, pleading desperately with him.

"Seems Dumbledore made you swear quite a few things," Severus bit out.

Hermione instantly recoiled from his tone, clutching the book to her chest in an effort to shield herself.

"I'm here by choice you know, I can just as easily walk away,"

"Ah, but then you'd be breaking your precious promise to Dumbledore, now wouldn't you?" he sneered.

Hermione couldn't understand him. They had been…okay. He had stopped recoiling from her touch, and was even starting to be more open with her, what had changed? Her heart was pounding in her chest as she glared at him. Without another word, she fled up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

For the next few days, Hermione buried her head in the book, carefully searching for all of the ways in and out of the Ministry. She desperately wanted to tell Severus everything, pour out every secret she had been keeping from him, but that would not help anyone.

Only when she heard a cry from the cellar did she pull herself away from the book, and went running down the stairs.

"Severus?" she asked as she stumbled down the last few steps.

"I've done it!" he cried, rushing around the room that was filled with boiling cauldrons.

"Done what?" Hermione asked looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Do you understand what this can do?" he asked, showing her a vial.

"No,"

"Here, look,"

Hermione stepped forward and looked at the vial.

"Watch,"

Severus pulled back his sleeve, revealing his pale hand, covered with scars. Hermione watched as he slowly tipped the vial, allowing one small drop to fall onto his hand. Immediately, his skin began to bubble, and in the blink of an eye, the area was clear and smooth, as if it had never known the hardships of war.

"Oh," Hermione said, her eyes widening.

"It'll heal _anything_ that it touches. Hospitals everywhere will be looking for it. Hermione, this could change people's lives forever,"

In a flash, Hermione pulled him into a hug, completely overcome with happiness.

"It's fantastic! Completely brilliant!" she cried.

She went to pull away, but couldn't. Severus had locked his arms around her waist, pinning her body against his. Her happiness quickly drained, replaced with the same feeling she had the night at Grimmauld Place, and she was met with the same look in his eyes. Hermione knew what was going to happen next. It was unavoidable. And Hermione knew she didn't want to avoid this. She thought about that night all the time, wishing she was back in the moment, reliving it over and over again.

Slowly, his head lowered, leaving their lips mere inches apart, allowing their breath to intermingle. Hermione instantly moved to tangle her hands in his silky hair, enjoying the feeling of it between her fingers.

"We shouldn't," he mumbled, staring at her lips.

Hermione pulled a little at the locks she had trapped between her fingers, causing him to release a small sigh. She didn't know what he was waiting for, but the wait was nearly killing her. She thought about this moment for the past seven months, and it was right in front of her, teasing and taunting.

Hermione watched as the will crumbled in his eyes, and his lips finally descended on hers. Immediately she shivered, feeling the goose bumps rise on her skin as she arched her body into his.

This kiss was drastically different from the first one they shared. They were both calm, testing each other instead of frantically attempting to get a small sliver of contact before he disappeared into the dark night.

Severus pulled away from her, but she refused to let him pull away anymore. They were going to have this out right now, they'd been fighting it since the night of the wedding and he had taken to locking himself in the cellar, brewing unnecessary things. Well, besides the potion he had recently come across.

Severus tangled his hand in her hair, before kissing her more fully on the mouth, displaying his confidence clearly. Hermione could still feel his hesitance, and when he pulled away, she made sure to keep a tight hold on him. With little effort, Severus extracted her hands from him, and gently pushed her away. Hermione desperately wanted to be close to him, and frowned deeply as he dropped her hands and began moving around his lab.

"That's it?" she asked, slightly hurt by his sudden coldness.

"What do you mean, 'it'? What more do you want?" he snapped without looking at her.

"I don't know, _something_, anything," she said taking a few steps towards him.

"I know you Gryffindor's always expect to be rewarded for your heroic endeavors, well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," he replied in a tone that suggested he was anything but.

"So now what? Are you going to disappear for another seven months because we kissed again?" she snapped, feeling her anger boiling.

Severus whirled on her with fire blazing in his eyes.

"Are you calling me a coward?" he asked, keeping his voice dangerously low.

"That depends, are you?"

Hermione watched as a muscle worked in his jaw and his knuckles turn white with rage. His breathing had gone ragged, suggesting that he was trying extremely hard to keep himself in check.

"Forget it. I'm going to go check on Harry and Ron. I don't know when I'll be back so don't wait up for me,"

Hermione quickly lowered her head and darted to the stairs. He didn't follow her, and she was thankful for that because the moment she slammed the door shut, she burst into tears. Whether he had meant it or not, Severus had hurt her deeply. She understood that for him to show even a shred of kindness was extremely difficult; Hermione wished that he would put in extra effort where she was concerned.

She grabbed her bag, making sure to take all of her belongings with her, making it seem as if she had never been at Spinner's End. Her eye caught the small glimmer of silver on her finger, and her heart felt like it weighed ten extra pounds. Swallowing, and wiping her eyes, she flew down the stairs, just as the cellar door opened.

Hermione hoped that if he had an ounce of feeling for her, he would feel pain at watching her leave. She knew it was a vicious thought, but she was quite certain that she was falling in love with him, and she hoped that he, in turn, would care for her.

Hermione suddenly remembered that she had forgotten some books that she had marked for Harry and Ron, and with a wave of her wand, she summoned them from her room. Due to her anger, she put extra force behind the spell, causing the books to fly down the stairs at an alarming speed.

"Hermione," Severus began, just as the books crashed into his back.

Gracefully they landed in her out stretched arms, and she stuffed them quickly into her bag before throwing the door opened. She stormed into the night, leaving the door wide against the wall. Hermione knew that leaving was a pointless action; he knew exactly where she would be going. But still, she wanted to make a point to him.

Turning around, she looked into his eyes once, before disappearing in a whirlwind of color.


	19. Selfless

**Hey...DON'T GET MAD! I KNOW IT'S WEDNESDAY! Soooo sorry for the delay. **

**I hope you read and enjoy...and hopefully review even though I'm a day late. **

* * *

><p>Severus didn't know how long he stood on the stoop, staring at the spot on the street where Hermione had just disappeared. He may be nearly heartless, but he could see the pain and agony in her eyes. He had finally driven her away. It was just as well; he had allowed himself to slip once again, leading her on, practically telling her that such a thing was acceptable. Severus would forever see her as a student, and nothing more.<p>

_Too late for that_ he thought sarcastically.

Indeed, Severus couldn't pinpoint the moment when he had stopped viewing her as _Miss Granger_ and began viewing her as a young, beautiful, intelligent young woman. That mattered little. It was the fact that he _had_ begun to think of her differently that was the main issue. He knew, no matter how hard he tried, Hermione Granger, well, Snape, would never be seen as a student in his eyes again. He could think of her as a first year, hand in the air, physically standing in an effort to be chosen to answer a question correctly. But what would that image do for him? Slowly the young, innocent face would begin to morph, and soon the display would be of a young woman, in a red dress, smiling widely and laughing freely. Little did she know how truly wonderful she was.

Severus wasn't going to lie to himself anymore, he truly did care for her. He cared for her more than he had cared for anyone in over twenty years.

Lily suddenly surfaced in his mind. Severus was startled to find that he didn't feel the usually intense guilt and longing that was associated with Lily's memory. The beautiful brunette was more prominent in his mind, and he was oddly fine with that fact. Lily would always have a special place in his heart, until the day he died. She was his first friend, the first woman he had been in love with. Until the day he caused her death, he loved her with every fiber of his being.

Severus sighed and dropped into a seat at the kitchen table and looked around. He could practically _taste_ the emptiness in the house. It felt emptier than ever before. Severus soon found himself wandering up the stairs, and to his bedroom. There was still a soft, vanilla fragrance in the room, and he clenched his jaw.

Should he go after her? Should he give her some space? Should he write her a letter, explaining himself?

With another sigh, Severus unceremoniously threw himself on the bed and was immediately overcome by her scent on his pillow. Immediately, images of the night she spent with him began to fill his mind.

Severus had never seen the Gryffindor so petrified in his life, and he certainly didn't like the sight. When she practically threw herself on top of him that night, he stayed awake for hours, simply staring at the ceiling, concentrating on how she felt against his own body. Every once in a while, her hand would grab a fistful of his shirt as if she was having a nightmare, and he would peer into her face and watch the lines of distress slowly fade from her face. As the night stretched on, the two became increasingly tangled with one another, and Severus was slightly uncomfortable. He had never been like…_that_ with a woman before. Usually it was a one night event, and he never saw the woman again. Never had he held one as he did Hermione that night. The entire experience was a new thing for him, and he found he was anxious to have another.

That morning, when he awoke, he was slightly startled. When you spend twenty years sleeping alone and suddenly find a woman in your arms (one who was there willingly), the sight would startle anyone. He couldn't help himself; he had to touch her.

Her cheek was just as soft as he remembered it to be, even more so. Severus even allowed himself to slip and kiss her forehead. He left the room immediately afterwards. He could not condone such actions.

And then tonight. They had been fighting it, him more than her. She seemed willing for another encounter to take place…and he couldn't deny that he thought about that Christmas Eve night more than he should have been.

Why would someone with so much potential give up their life to help him? He was _Severus Snape_ for crying out loud. Hated by all, student and teacher alike. She had given up her friends, her parents, her _freedom_…just to help others. And her promise…to stay with him no matter what happened. Granted she wasn't there now, but he couldn't exactly blame her for that. Regardless, _why_ would she stay with him? Who would even want to? Nearly all of the magical community distrusted him, or even hated him, and this woman blatantly chose to stay at his side.

_Til death do us part_ he thought sarcastically.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

The next morning, Severus awoke sprawled out on the bed, alone, and just as miserable as he was the night before. Not to mention he had his face pressed into his pillow which smelled just like Hermione even though he knew that she certainly had not come back last night.

Should that worry him? Could Potter take care of her?

The thought made him groan aloud. The Golden Trio, reunited at last. He could only wonder what mischief the three would get into together. Though, mischief was a part of their school days. Sneaking around the castle at night, helping Hagrid with his dangerous creatures, helping Black escape was all considered mischief. But anything they were likely to get into now would surely be much more dangerous and most likely deadly.

His stomach flipped at the thought. He should have gone for her last night; he should have gone and forcefully dragged her back so he would know, so he would be absolutely positive that Hermione was indeed safe. She was currently staying with one of the most hunted people of their world, and Severus knew that, contrary to orders from the Dark Lord himself, the Death Eaters would not hesitate to kill Hermione in a second. They all secretly wanted her dead. She was, in their eyes, a Mudblood, and no matter what the Dark Lord said, Mudbloods were fair game amongst the Death Eaters.

In order to distract himself, Severus immediately slipped into the cellar to work on his new potion that healed scars and year-old wounds. He had been working on the mixture for quite a few years, but the human skin was a delicate thing, and therefore, needed a delicate potion. The intricate details took hours to straighten out, but last night, he had finally succeeded. Well, in more than one thing, he thought, thinking about giving into his feelings…again.

Pulling out his journal, in fact, the one that Hermione gave him for Christmas, he began scribbling his findings down at the bottom of the recipe he had finally perfected. The journal was probably the best gift he'd gotten in years. Everyone got him books filled to the brim with potion ingredients and recipes, but no one seemed to think about his own personal brewing. His cramped, yet neat cursive filled the page, as he scribbled over numerous stains.

His eyes kept flicking towards the stairs, and his hand would seize when he heard a creak, thinking that Hermione had returned. Severus hadn't even thought about what he should say to her once she did show up again. He was never one for feelings, discussing them, interpreting them, trying to figure out why he had them. Honestly, he could care less about it. But now, everything had changed in his life.

Twenty years ago, he didn't expect to be in the middle of a war. Twenty years ago, he hadn't expected to be playing the part of the spy, practically feeling death's icy breath on his neck every second of every day. Twenty years ago, he hadn't expected his feelings for Lily to fade. Twenty years ago, he hadn't expected he'd feel anything remotely close to that again. Twenty years ago, he certainly didn't think he'd be married.

Yet here he was, married, feeling, and in the middle of a war, closer to death than he was ever before.

Married. He pondered the word. Severus Snape was married.

Before he could ponder much more than that, his ring, for the first time, began to glow and heat up. His journal slipped from his fingers, and slapped to the ground as he felt the blood drain from his face. Severus couldn't think about anything but the warmth of the ring, and the potential meaning. She could be in trouble. He wouldn't allow himself to think past that point. With his head already spinning, Severus turned on the spot, allowing the ring to take him to Hermione.

The instant his feet touched the ground, he heard a…crunch? Peering around, he found himself in the middle of the woods, the trees just beginning to lose their leaves. Then he could hear voices, a woman speaking harshly while crying, and a male whose voice was slightly panicked. Severus immediately headed towards the voices, and when he climbed the small hill, he was met with the scene which was producing the voices.

Immediately he saw her, her hair slightly bushy, on her knees, leaning over a figure. A head of black hair was doing the same.

"Can't you fix it?"

"No, Harry! Just because I fix the bottle doesn't mean that the Dittany reappears in the bottle! Magic doesn't work that way!"

Severus knew that she was crying and severely panicking. She had evidently heard him approach because her head suddenly snapped up and her eyes landed on him.

"Severus!" she immediately cried, the tears flowing more freely.

Hermione jumped up, and Severus noticed that she was wearing different clothing than she was the night before. It was almost business-like. He was curious why she was wearing that, and heels, in the middle of the woods. It was then that he noticed the blood covering her hands and clothing, even some staining the nude stockings she wore.

Immediately he moved to her, quickly assessing her body for damage, and trying to find the source of the large amounts of blood that were on her body.

"We-we need your help, please," she pleaded as she grabbed onto his robes the minute he was near enough.

Hermione snatched his hand, yanking him to the figure that was on the ground.

"We Apparated, but…well, Ron was splinched! I had Dittany with me, but it shattered, and he's lost so much blood already,"

Severus noted how severely upset she was and how she kept wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. He turned his eyes to the boy on the ground, and found a pale looking Weasley with a rather ugly arm injury that was bleeding profusely.

"Stay here," Severus muttered before Apparating back to Spinner's End.

Immediately he found the bottle he was looking for and Apparated back to Hermione. She was back on her knees, trying to sooth Weasley though he barely seemed conscious. Without a word, he uncapped the bottle and poured a generous amount on the wound, watching the skin heal itself. Weasley was groaning in pain, and Hermione was quietly soothing him.

"Come on, Hermione, let's set up the tent and get him inside," Potter said.

"I can't stand right now, I have to get my bearings back for a second," Hermione replied, staying seated on the ground, her hands clenched in her lap.

"Are you hurt?" Severus immediately asked upon hearing that she couldn't stand.

"No, I'm fine, I just need a moment to calm down," she said brushing the hair from her face with a shaky hand.

"Hermione, don't you think he should leave? They're all going to be after us now," Potter muttered to her.

"I trust him Harry, it's all we have left," Hermione replied in a tired voice.

Severus was quiet for a moment, looking at the two, his heart jumping into his throat.

"What did you do?"

The silence that radiated around the woods was nearly deafening to Severus. Potter shuffled his feet and Hermione refused to lift her eyes from the ground.

"What the bloody hell do you three do?" he roared.

"We broke into the Ministry, alright?" Potter snapped back.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed.

"He's going to find out sooner or later, Hermione! It'll be all over the Daily Prophet tomorrow!"

"You couldn't have," Severus said, shaking his head.

When the two refused to look at him, he knew what he didn't want to believe.

"You did, oh bloody hell, we're in for it now," he growled.

"What do you mean?" the ever eager Gryffindor asked.

"Did it ever pass through that brilliant mind of yours that you were supposed to be under _my_ supervision at the time of your little escapade? Do you have any _idea_ the stories I'm going to have to make up to save my neck, as well as yours?"

By the shame that filled her features, she had not thought about it.

"No doubt you were seen?" he asked.

She nodded, her pale face looking sickly.

"I'll…well, I just won't go back with you then. You can say that I ran away, in the middle of the night so you couldn't catch me, then-"

"Then he'll kill me before I even mutter anything as ridiculous as that,"

"He can't kill you if I ran away," she said, her face paling even more as they talked about his death.

"No, but he can kill me for being so damn neglectful. Why did you need to get into the Ministry anyway?"

The look on her face told him everything.

"You can't say,"

"No,"

The three remained silent, as Weasley was unconscious on the ground.

"You…you will be able to lie, won't you?" her sweet innocent voice asked.

"Of course I'll be able to lie; whether that saves my neck is a whole other story,"

In an instant the woman at his feet was hyperventilating, grasping at her chest and crying. What could he do? Severus couldn't exactly fall to the ground and hold her, even though he desperately wanted to. Potter was standing right there, and surely their cover would be blown. They've said enough in front of him already, no doubt he would know that something wasn't quite right with the two.

Instead, he squatted so he was on eye level with her, and stared into her wide eyes.

"It's not the end of the world,"

"He's going to kill you, he's going to kill you and it's all my fault," she gasped with watery eyes.

"I'll worm my way out of this like I've wormed my way out of other things, I've been doing this for twenty years, I know how it goes,"

"Still, how could I be so stupid! So reckless!"

"We had to, Hermione! It was the only way!" Potter suddenly snapped.

"Harry, that stupid locket isn't worth it!"

"Yes it is, you know it is," Potter growled.

"We could have gone about it in a different way,"

"How? How were we supposed to break into the Ministry in a 'different way'? There was no other way!"

Before Severus could say another word, the Dark Mark began burning. A simple hiss from his lips and Hermione already knew.

"Oh God," she moaned.

"Come on, we're going to have to do a hell of a job to get out of this," he muttered standing.

"We!" she squeaked, still on the ground.

"Well if I show up there without you, I'll never see the light of day again. At least if you're with me, there's a small chance that I'll be forgiven,"

She seemed to know that this was the only way, because her face had suddenly taken on the look of one who knew they were about to die. Without thinking, he held out his hand, and she took it without a moment of hesitation. Severus pulled her to her feet, as his eyes flashed over her blood streaked face. At least she looked the part.

"Follow my lead and do not speak unless asked to reply,"

"Wait…no! You're not taking her to him! You sick bastard!" Potter roared.

Hermione walked over to Weasley, and kneeled down in order to place a kiss on his pale cheek. The instant she looked at Potter, she burst into tears and flung herself on him.

"You're my best friend Harry, and I know you can figure this out, even without me. Just talk to Ron, and put your heads together, and I know you can win for us. Good luck, I love you,"

"Hermione, it sounds like you're saying goodbye…for good," Potter said a little choked up.

"I don't know if I am Harry, I…don't worry about me, okay? There are more important things that need to be done. Remember, never lose focus. I'll leave you some notes that I took, that should help you for a while, until you get a new lead,"

The two pulled apart, Hermione sobbing, Potter appearing to be choking on something.

"Tell Ron that I love him, and he's my best friend…and thank him again for that mountain troll thing, okay? I wouldn't be here without either of you," Hermione said with a sad attempt at a laugh.

Potter nodded, and Hermione gently kissed his cheek.

"I love you,"

With one final hug, Hermione turned her back on Potter, and immediately took Severus by the hand, where they Apparated to Malfoy Manor.

The two stood still, grasping each other's hand, staring at the looming manor ahead.

Severus knew the odds of them walking out alive were slimmer than he would be comfortable with, but he was certainly not going to mention it to the woman beside him who was staring at the house as if it was her death sentence. He watched as she swallowed, accepting her fate with her head held high.

Severus stood still for a moment, forcing himself to become the man that the Dark Lord expected to see. Grinding his teeth, he snatched her arm, and began dragging her towards the house rather violently. She gasped beside him, stumbling desperately in his wake trying to stay upright.

Quicker than he would like, they reached the door, and he threw it opened, dragging her into the dusty air.

Severus immediately felt the woman freeze up, and try to pull herself out of his grasp, but her feeble attempts to get away were nothing. With a note of protest falling from her lips, Severus yanked her up the stairs, burying his emotions deep inside him.

They reached the room he had walked through so many times before, and found the Dark Lord patiently waiting for them, with a few Death Eater's by his side.

"Severus," he hissed softly.

"My lord," he replied, roughly releasing the woman who was stiff as stone beside him.

"I see you've bought the little trouble maker with you,"

"Believe me, my Lord, she will be severely punished for her behavior," Severus hissed glaring at the bushy head beside him.

"No doubt she will be, but what of your behavior? You let her escape,"

Before he could respond, he collapsed on the floor, completely engulfed in pain. Severus heard her scream, and laughter.

"Don't hurt him! No!"

She suddenly was screaming again, and the pain left his body, allowing him to peel open his eyes and look around the room. Immediately he looked at her, and found her being restrained by one of the larger Death Eater's as she looked at him with wide eyes which were streaming tears.

The two stared at one another, and the Dark Lord stood from his seat and walked over to the scene.

"What is this? Does the Mudblood care for the Death Eater?" he cooed softly.

Hermione was breathing heavily, staring at his form on the floor.

"What a shame,"

And once again, Severus was immersed in pain, groaning on the floor, swallowing his pain. Through the years of torture, he knew how to keep most of his cries smothered and buried within himself.

"Stop! Please! Stop!" he heard her scream, sounding as if she was struggling to get away from her captor.

Severus continued to writhe on the floor, emitting sounds of pain, and Hermione kept screaming her pleas. Finally the pain stopped, and Severus stayed still, panting on the ground.

"And what are you willing to do in order to spare him?"

Severus opened his eyes, and saw her once again staring at him.

"Take the pain for him?" the Dark Lord offered, dragging his wand across her cheek and down the slender column of her neck.

He wanted to scream at her not to, but that would reveal his own feelings. Even before he could decide, he saw her nod her head, causing a few tears to drop from her face and onto the dusty wooden floor.

The next moment, he heard the worst sound he has ever heard in all his years on Earth. A blood curdling scream echoed around the room, constant, never seeming to end. The scream physically crushed his chest, making it hard for him to breath. His eyes found their way to the form flailing on the ground, the inhuman scream still echoing. He had never beheld a worse sight than the one he was now witnessing.

The Dark Lord lowered his wand, and glided to her side before gracefully lowering his body to the ground.

"I would make our dear Severus here torture you for my enjoyment, but that would severely hinder my plans,"

Severus had sat up at some point, and was staring at the scene with baited breath. He watched as the Dark Lord ran one long pale finger down her tear stained cheek. She didn't so much as flinch. Not that she could, her body was in shock.

Swiftly, the Dark Lord stood, and once again began torturing the young Gryffindor, who was releasing scream after scream as the pain contorted her body. Severus found his way to his feet, feeling as if he was about to be sick from the sight.

His eyes flashed around the room, to the other Death Eaters who were present, and they all had sick, twisted smiles on their faces. Severus forced his face to remain hard, but he was sure some of his disgust was written clear as day across his features.

The scene stretched on and on. Screaming, laughing, taunting, more screaming. Severus felt his joints aching from standing so long. He thought of only one thing through the screaming: She was doing this for him.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like the weight of the world was attempting to crush the very life from his body. He always knew that she was selfless…but this was far too much. Severus was happy that she wasn't searching for his eyes while she was being endless tortured. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself under control if she did. He wanted to scoop her off of the dirty wood, hold her tightly to his chest, and take her far away from this house. He wanted to hold her forever, making sure that she never so much as got a splinter.

Severus was failing Dumbledore, and he was failing her. He had promised that he would keep her safe, and now look at her.

It was then that Severus realized that the screaming had stopped. He turned his eyes to the limp figure on the ground, breathing heavily with a light sheen of sweat covering her skin. Severus wished someone would kill him as he looked into her glassy eyes. She was broken.

"I desperately wanted to see you torture her, Severus, but that would cause her to mistrust you, and we can't have that, not while we're so close," the Dark Lord said, heading back to the head of the table.

"Take her away," he said dismissively, waving his hand as his snake slithered across the floor to his feet.

As if his body didn't belong to him, he found himself moving towards the broken body lying still on the floor. He noticed that her eyes showed a small sign of life upon seeing him bending over her. Severus grasped her hand, feeling how cold it was, and gently pulled her up. In a daze, he watched as she willingly complied with his wishes.

Soon, she was on her feet, Severus supporting most of her weight against his side. The two headed towards the door, she made no sound, and he did not look back. Down the dark stairs and into the overcast day the couple went. The moment they had reached the gates Severus wrapped her in his arms and Apparated back to Spinner's End.

They appeared on a hill, with a single tree, which overlooked the small town. As their eyes glanced over the sleepy town, the pretenses lowered.

With a sob, and a small cry of pain, Hermione sunk to the ground, but Severus had already caught her and was gently lowering her down along with himself. He desperately held her against his chest, rocking her gently, not knowing what to do with himself. He looked towards the sky, wishing that Albus was here to help him. He needed someone.

He could feel her muscles seizing, and glanced down at her. Her face was pressed deeply into his chest, and she was violently sobbing and clutching at his clothing.

"Shh," he whispered brushing her hair from her face which was white as a sheet. "I know it hurts," he muttered, pulling her closer to him as he felt her press her face into the crook of his neck.

After a few more minutes, in which he gently stroked her hair, Severus maneuvered her into his arms and swiftly stood. Immediately her arms locked around his neck as her head rested on his shoulder. Severus took large strides, anxious to get her into bed…or something. There wasn't anything he could do for her. No pain potion would work, nothing worked against the Cruciatus Curse.

Severus spotted the door and took more purposeful strides towards their safe haven. He never thought that he'd see the day he was happy to be back in his childhood home. Without pausing, he walked through the door and straight up the stairs. Severus could feel her harsh breath on his neck, shortened and uneven due to the pain she was still feeling.

Instantly he bypassed her room and headed towards his own. He wasn't even ashamed that he hadn't made the bed, or cleaned in a week.

Severus placed her gently in the bed, and she unwrapped her arms from around his neck and fumbled with the bag that had managed to remain draped across her body. Finally, she pulled the strap over her head, and weakly dropped it over the side of the bed. He could hear the books and glass clattering around as she fought the jacket off of her body.

Severus saw that she was struggling and helped slip the material off of her arms. Once she was freed from the jacket, she fell back on the pillow, her hair fanning out around her head. Severus would have been enamored by the sight, had it been at any other time but this one. He watched as she rolled onto her side, away from him with a groan before burying her face in the pillow. Severus left the room and found a basin, and filled it with water before grabbing a towel and finding his way back to the bedroom.

Quietly he made his way around the bed, placing the basin down and dipping part of the towel into the warm water. Severus gently lowered himself onto the bed and pulled her hand towards him. Gentler than he had been in years, he began to clean the blood from her hands. Before long, the water was red, but at least her hands were clean. He had just placed her clean hand on the bed when he suddenly felt her cold hand lock around his fingers.

"Please don't," she whispered in a broken voice.

Severus didn't reply, but gently placed his other hand over hers, feeling the cold skin beneath his fingers.

"Why does it still hurt?" she whimpered as her face contorted in pain.

Severus cleared his throat, making sure his voice didn't crack.

"You aren't used to…being repeatedly tortured…your muscles have gone into shock. It should take a few hours for them to relax,"

"Stay," she muttered, as her eyes slipped closed.

He remained frozen for a few moments, before his eyes roamed across her body, searching for any more injuries. Her knees were scrapped up, and he instantly set to cleaning them. Vanishing her stockings, he began wiping them down, causing her to hiss out in pain. Severus pulled her shoes from her feet, and carelessly tossed them off of the bed. Once her feet were freed, she curled her legs up and sighed deeply.

Severus emptied the basin with a flick of his wrist before refilling it again. Softly, he ran the towel across her cheek, wiping away the blood, dirt, and tears that marred her beautiful face. Her eyes slowly opened, and Severus couldn't bring himself to look at her, instead, paying careful attention to her skin.

When he was done, he sat on the edge of the bed, his head hanging so low it was nearly on resting on his chest.

"Why?" he finally asked softly.

"Why what?" Hermione replied through another bout of pain.

"Why did you put yourself in danger for me?"

"I couldn't…when you were on the floor…I couldn't watch it anymore,"

"And how do you think I felt?" he snapped, glaring at her over his shoulder.

"Hopefully grateful,"

"I'm supposed to protect you, keep you out of harm's way, and I…failed,"

Severus felt her fingers lock around his arm, and he tensed immediately. He wanted to scream at her, he wanted to destroy things, he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her senseless, he wanted to tell her how much she had come to mean to him.

"I knew what I signed on for,"

"Regardless!" he cried standing from the bed, pacing the room. "You are not to do that again, do you understand? If the Dark Lord tortures me for hours, you are to stand there acting as if you've suddenly gone catatonic,"

"I can't do that! You've gone through years of torture for Dumbledore and the Order, and for our world, and it's high time somebody stepped in!"

"Well that somebody will not be you!"

"I-"

Hermione's response was suddenly cut off as her body arched in pain. Immediately Severus darted to her and pulled her into his arms.

"You need to relax so your muscles can relax," he said, feeling her muscles going through spasms.

"Well if you weren't fighting with me, they would be," she gasped out.

"I wasn't fighting with you, I was simply expressing some of my opinions concerning severe issues which have suddenly come up,"

"Why can't you ever accept that you're wrong?"

"I'm usually not," he said, sounding slightly full of himself.

She couldn't reply as another bout of pain washed over her, causing her hand to tighten on his shirt as her knuckles turned white with strain. Severus rubbed her back, trying to sooth some of her muscles. By the time the pain had passed, Hermione was paler than before, and she had small beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

"I know, I'm such a baby. I have no tolerance for pain," she murmured quietly.

"I was the same way the first time I was tortured, it's to be expected,"

The silence stretched on, and her breathing slowed down to resume its regular pace.

"Thank you," he finally muttered, making sure he couldn't see her eyes.

"For?"

"Sacrificing yourself for my sake. Most people wouldn't put themselves in danger if it came to that,"

"When you care about someone, you find you'll do anything to save them," she muttered, sounding as if she was on the verge of sleep.

Severus remained frozen, knowing his eyes were wide in wonderment. This young woman just admitted that she cared for him, and would do anything to keep him from being in danger or pain. He glanced down at her, sleeping soundly on his chest, feeling her muscles twitching every now and then.

Severus was quite certain that he was falling in love with the brave Gryffindor.


	20. Hogwarts

**Hey! **

**Just wanted to say thanks for the AWESOME reviews. They keep getting better, so keep them coming! **

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Severus awoke slowly, not wanting to leave his deep slumber. Peeling his eyes opened, he found that during the night, they had somehow maneuvered themselves so he was snuggly holding her against him, his arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her back against his chest. He could feel every curve of her body against his, and couldn't help the sigh that fell from his lips. Severus would be lying through his teeth if he said he didn't enjoy the current situation. She was so incredibly warm, and Severus pressed his face into her hair, enjoying the moment. He couldn't remember the last time he had allowed himself a moment, just for himself.<p>

Hermione shifted subtly, pressing herself further into his arms. She was certainly in for a rough day. Severus wished he could do something for her, anything. Her muscles would be incredibly sore today, trying to repair the damage that was inflicted upon them. Her best bet was to stay in bed all day, but then he realized who he was looking down at. The moment he would suggest she stay in bed, she would be up and carrying on as if she wasn't in excruciating pain. Perhaps her body would just keep her asleep for a while longer, allowing her muscles some extra rest.

The Cruciatus Curse was something that took years to get even semi-used to. Severus had twenty years of practice under his belt, and still, his muscles ached for a few hours afterwards. No one could get used to the pain that was inflicted on them, but they could begin to master the side effects of the pain.

The best he could do for her was Firewhiskey. That was the remedy he used. Numb yourself until the pain was gone.

She suddenly groaned, a sure sign of soreness, and turned her face into the pillow, taking deep breaths. Severus realized that he still had his face buried in her hair, and gently pulled away while loosening his arm from around her.

"No," came her muffled voice as her hand suddenly locked on his arm, pulling him back to her.

Without a word he slid his arm back around her and immediately tightened it, pulling her even tighter against him. Yes, she was in for a _very_ rough day. Severus felt her relax against him with a sigh, and he took this moment to remove himself from the bed. He could clearly see the protest on her face.

"I'll be right back," he said before slipping from the room.

Quickly he located the bottle of Firewhisky in his study and brought it back upstairs, grabbing a cup on his way.

Her eyes instantly locked on his form when he entered the room, and then slid down to his hands.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" she asked sounding as if she were mocking him.

"It's not for me, you fool, it's for you,"

"Well I don't want it," she instantly snapped.

"Fine, then you can just sit there and suffer," he retorted, angrily placing the bottle and cup on the nightstand beside her and sweeping from the room.

And like he always did when he was upset, Severus spent the day in his cellar, brewing all day, tweaking some potions, and working on his own concoction.

Mainly, his mind remained on the woman currently in his bed. Why was it so hard for her to accept when someone was trying to help her? And this business with Potter. She was going to get herself killed. Briefly, Severus thought about how Weasley must be fairing with just Potter to look after him. He'd be dead in a week. And what were those two doing in the middle of nowhere, in a tent?

Better yet, what was the Golden Trio up to? Hermione was keeping secrets from him, and if there were secrets between them, they could hardly count on succeeding in what they were trying to do. He couldn't exactly probe her mind; her shields had become extremely strong since they had begun practicing again. Not saying that he hadn't tried before, every time they practiced, he tried to grasp at a small shred of her secret, but she buried it far away from him, under the water in her mind.

When they practiced, it really wasn't practice. He was putting forth his best effort to break her down, and he knew that she treated their practices like a life and death situation. Never did she leave her guard down around him, not anymore. Hermione blatantly viewed her secret as one of the most important things in her life, because she clung to it like a newborn clings to their mother.

The more he thought about it, the more it tortured him. What was she hiding? What if he could help her in some way? What if something happens to her, and if he had known what she was hiding, could he have saved her?

He gave up trying to find out, when in the middle of one of their practices, she had yelled at him, telling him to stop looking for what he was looking for. They had shouted quite a good deal, and did not speak for nearly a week. But he decided it would be better for him in the long run to stop looking. If he pushed her too far, she was liable to leave, even if she did make a promise. The thought of her leaving did not sit well with Severus. He didn't want her to leave, he had gotten so used to her being around, and Severus didn't want to go back to the old way. Alone, in a dusty, empty house. Just her presence alone had done so much to the house. Plus it scared him to think about her out there, and alone, most likely petrified. The image of her face the night the Death Eater had tried to take her flitted into his mind, and he swallowed deeply.

The urge to see her suddenly came over him, just to know that she was still there, with him. Quietly, he climbed from the cellar, smelling of various potions, and climbed the staircase to his room. Barley making a sound, he pushed the door opened, silently in case she was still awake.

What he saw made him smirk. Hermione was clutching his pillow tightly to her chest, with the cup filled a quarter of the way, wrapped in her relaxed grip, her fingers barely holding glass which was resting on the bed. Her hair was spread out around her, and would doubtlessly need extra care for the knots that were sure to be there when she awoke. Her skin was still a sickly pale, but at least she was sleeping. His eyes moved to the bottle on her nightstand, and his smirk grew as he saw the level of the bottle lower than it was before he left. In fact, it was considerably lower.

A sudden mumble drew his eyes back to her. It was at moments like these that he realized how innocent she was, and what the world had forced upon her.

Quietly, he walked to his side of the bed, and gently lifted the glass from her fingers so she didn't spill anything on the bed. She simply sighed and pulled his pillow closer. She would certainly be feeling the negative effects of the alcohol tomorrow, but that he could deal with. Seeing her in pain and not being able to do anything, that, he could not deal with.

Severus sighed and took his place in a chair that was deserted in darkest corner of the room. The school year would be beginning shortly, and Severus would be required to stay at Hogwarts. That would mean that Hermione would have to come with him. Of course she could stay at Spinner's End, carefully concealed from the world, but Death Eater's had broken through his wards before, no doubt they would do it again.

His mind drifted to that night. Severus had come to the conclusion that a rather talented witch or wizard had to disarm his home, and he had a pretty good idea who it was. Bellatrix. Through the years she had shown a particular liking when it came to him, a rather sick and twisted thought. One would never think that she was married, the way she throws herself at the men who attend the meetings. Severus would always remember her face when she found out that he had been married. Not even rabid dogs have that look in their eyes. She was insanely jealous that he would pick someone like Hermione over her, a pureblood.

No doubt she had disarmed his home, and sent one of her lovers in to do her dirty work, most likely granting him some prize if he succeeded. Severus had no solid evidence to support his claims, so the only thing that he could do was protect Hermione more than she realized, which he did. Always, nearly every hour, he would check the wards, check to see if the house had any unwelcome visitors, and make sure that her room had the highest protection he could manage. Severus would also make a point of seeking her throughout the day, just to make sure that someone hadn't slipped in and taken her without him knowing about it. If she ever found out he was watching her so closely, she'd never forgive him for being an overbearing and overprotective man.

Severus left the room a while later, finding himself something to eat in the house. The rest of the day he spent in the cellar, furiously scribbling in the journal that Hermione had gotten him for Christmas. Eventually, his eyes were burning with exhaustion, so he set down his quill and made his way to bed. When he swung the door open, he wordlessly lit a single candle and stopped dead in his tracks. The rumpled sheets were empty.

In a flash he darted from the room and into her room, finding it cold and empty. Darting down the stairs, Severus could feel his heart pounding in his throat. He tore through room after room, on the verge of screaming her name out. Finally, he reached his study, and flung the door open, breathing heavily.

There, seated at his desk, was Hermione. Instantly he slumped against the door frame, forcing calming breaths into his body. She had a single candle on the desk, with a large book spread out before her. Severus would have shouted, if she wasn't sleeping so peacefully on his desk. Her cheek was pressed to the paper, with her lips slightly parted.

Quietly, Severus made his way over to her. Without thinking, he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, causing her to stir slightly.

"Hermione," he murmured softly, knowing that she was probably suffering both from pain and alcohol.

Her face suddenly contorted as a small whimper fell from her lips.

"No…no," she murmured as her hand balled up into a fist.

Instinctively, he reached out and touched her.

"No!" she gasped, shooting upright clutching the arms of the chair and breathing heavily.

"Hermione,"

Her eyes strayed to his face, and he saw them widened.

"You…you're here,"

"Yes," he answered slowly. "I'm here,"

"You're not there," she muttered.

"Where?"

"Malfoy Manor," she murmured, with a small shake in her voice.

Before he could respond to her, he felt her fingers gently brush across his hand and gently touch the cuff of his robes. He could tell by her eyes that she was still far away, lost in her own thoughts. Severus took hold of her elbow and gently pulled her from the chair, and Hermione stood, still slightly trembling.

"What did you dream about?"

"You," she replied quietly while piling some books up that she had been reading. "I couldn't see much, it was so dark. But I could hear…hear the screaming. I…knew,"

"Knew what?"

"Who was screaming,"

Severus didn't need to ask who it was, he could tell just by her face.

"I couldn't do anything,"

It was then that Severus caught a small piece from the large book that remained opened. He sighed, as the pieces began to fall into place.

"There's not a single thing that can help the Cruciatus Curse, you should know that,"

"I know, but I want to find something that can," she said defiantly.

"How long have you been having these dreams? And don't lie to me,"

"A while," she muttered shutting the book softly.

"If you told me I could give you something to stop the dreams,"

"No. I'm not going to be reliant on some potion that helps me sleep," she said blowing out the candle and heading to the door. "Plus, these dreams help me realize how lucky I really am,"

Severus sunk into his chair, in the darkness, and listened to her soft footsteps padding across the wood floor and into his room. If she didn't stop with her damn hero missions, she would kill herself, and Severus was not ready to see that.

Two weeks flew by, and the two barely spoke. Severus awoke on the day before school began, knowing that he would have to spend the day at Hogwarts to oversee some last minute details. He climbed from the cold bed, seeing as Hermione made sure to sleep on the other side, far away from him, and began to get ready.

As Severus dressed in front of the mirror, he allowed his mind to wander. Severus had yet to pick a new teacher for both Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts. No one wanted to work at the school anymore, not after what had happened. Sighing, and fastening the last button on his coat, Severus stepped out of the bathroom to find Hermione pulling on her shoes.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"I want to come with you," she replied just as quietly while standing and straightening out her sweater.

Severus was silent as he left the room and immediately headed to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of Firewhiskey. He poured himself a generous amount and quickly swallowed the contents. His eyes drifted to her form standing in the doorway and he sighed deeply before refilling the glass and holding it out to her. The two stared at one another for a moment, not moving.

"You're going to need it," he finally said quietly.

Without another word Hermione stepped into the room and gently took the glass from his hand and immediately swallowed the contents as her face contorted for a moment. Severus headed towards the door, hearing her following him. They slipped into the foggy morning, the door creaking closed behind them. Severus walked forward for a moment before coming to a stop in the middle of the street. Shifting his eyes to his right, he saw a head of bushy hair, staring down the street.

Severus extended his hand slightly, and without looking at him, her fingers entwined with his. The next moment, they were being pulled through space. When they landed, immediately their eyes swept across the grand castle, but Severus felt Hermione's fingers tighten around his, and he understood why.

The building had lost its former grandeur. The whole castle felt cold like the magic had been sucked from the very stones. No longer was Hogwarts a safe haven for him or her for that matter.

Severus could feel the coldness seeping through his robes, and forced himself to take a deep breath before pulling her forward.

"You cannot be seen today, or any day for that matter. Do you understand?"

"Why?" she asked quietly, almost timidly.

"No one knows of this arrangement, and we cannot have people asking questions. People assume you to be with Potter, and if it was found that you were not, especially if it was known that you were with me, problems would arise,"

Her only response was to pull herself closer to him.

The two walked up to the school together, silent the entire way. Without his wand, Severus opened the door before them, and they slipped inside. The doors closed behind them with a bang which echoed through the hall. Hermione dropped his hand, and walked forward to peer into the Great Hall, whose door were wide open.

The windows had not been repaired, the glass still scattered around the floor along with plates and goblets. Severus wished that someone would have cleaned the room up so he wouldn't have to relive his shame.

His eyes locked on her form, standing still in the middle of the main aisle taking in her surroundings. Severus was sure that she wasn't even breathing. But before he could comment, she quickly turned around, with her eyes locked on the ground, and stormed from the room. His large strides made it easy for him to keep up with her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he finally asked.

"Dumbledore's office," she snapped quickly.

Without a word they reached the office, and Severus quickly mumbled the password, watching as the stairs began rising upward. When they reached the door, Severus froze just long enough to catch her attention. Hermione's eyes strayed to his face, and he saw the pity written there, and the sadness.

He wanted to snap at her, but she suddenly took his hand in hers and gave a reassuring squeeze before pushing on the door. They each took one step into the room, simply looking around at the room which seemed so cold and deserted.

Hermione took a step forward and noticed that Severus didn't move with her. She turned towards him but Severus couldn't look her in the eye. He simply stared at the chair which he had stood in front of so many times, speaking to the one person he could count on in his life.

"Severus?"


	21. Love?

**Hey everyone!**

**Lets see if we can reach 10 reviews for this chapter? Okay? :D**

**Sorry this is kind of on the short side, but that's just how it happened. **

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>That voice. Severus immediately tensed.<p>

"Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, dropping his hand and heading towards a painting on the wall.

"Miss Granger! How nice to see you again! Oh, I apologize, Mrs. Snape, I sometimes forget these things," the old man said with a smile.

"Professor," she began, starting to choke on her words. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Harry…and Ron…"

"I can assure you that they are fine, I have my ways of knowing, even now,"

"How can I help them?"

"I believe that it is time for you to go before the Dark Lord and reveal part of the story Severus and I have made,"

Severus remained frozen in the doorway, afraid to move a muscle.

"What if I'm not ready?" she asked quietly.

"Hermione, you have always been ready for anything that you have faced in your life. Severus will ensure that you are safe and protected. You have nothing to fear when he is there,"

Hearing his old mentor speak about him in such a way made him nearly sick to his stomach.

"I know, he's beyond wonderful dealing with all of this,"

Wonderful? Him? _Severus Snape?_

"A little birdie told me that three of my most mischievous students had a little run in with the Ministry,"

"Yes, we had to go there for…for that thing we needed,"

"And were you successful?" he asked peering down at her over his half-moon glasses.

"Yes, but we don't know what to do now. We tried…but nothing works, and I've read everything about it that I could, but no one is willing to talk about anything even remotely related to the topic,"

What on _Earth_ were they talking about?

"Yes, this is where Severus is needed,"

Hermione turned to look at him, and he was suddenly faced with the same pairs of eyes that he was forced to see on the night he killed the most important person in his life.

"Come Severus, it is time that you and I had a conversation I know you've been putting off for quite a long time,"

Those blue eyes. They looked exactly how he remembered them, especially in his dreams. Without thinking, he stepped forward, taking his place at Hermione's side.

"Stop blaming yourself, Severus, that is in the past, it is time that you focused on the future because there are people who need you,"

Severus noticed that Dumbledore's eyes shifted to Hermione's face before coming to rest on his own.

"I assume that you two have been working on her shields?"

"Yes, thoroughly," Severus managed to choke out.

"I knew I could count on you," Dumbledore said with a proud smile.

Severus didn't reply.

"It is time that she goes to him; Harry is in desperate need of more time,"

Severus swallowed deeply. Months ago, when he knew he would be the one taking Granger to the Dark Lord, the thought bothered him, but now...Severus didn't know how he was going to handle handing her over with not an ounce of resistance. He would be forced to witness those three hours a day, her screaming, crying, suffering.

"What am I supposed to say to him?" Hermione asked softly.

"Severus will work with you, teaching you how to make a false memory. You are to show him Ron's injury so he suspects that Harry is being detained. You cannot allow the memory of Severus to slip through,"

"Sir, how do you know this?" Hermione asked.

Dumbledore gave her a kind smile and continued with the story.

"You must show Harry suffering, that will make Voldemort happy for the moment and he will shift his attention for the time being, knowing that Harry isn't getting anywhere,"

"That's all?" Hermione asked.

"All? My dear girl, do you know how difficult it is to form a fake memory?"

"When do you think I should go?" she asked.

"The next meeting that is called,"

"You can't possibly expect her to be ready by then!" Severus interjected.

"We are running out of time," Dumbledore said.

The three remained silent, until there was a knock at the door.

"Hide!" Severus immediately hissed grabbing Hermione's elbow and pulling her away from the portrait.

A small living area was set up in a room hidden by a curtain, and Severus immediately pushed her inside and pulled the curtain over the opening before she had a chance to turn around. Severus darted to his desk, and took a deep breath.

"Enter," he barked, resuming his cold exterior.

In a flourish of emerald robes, Minerva entered the room with a scowl already in place. Severus knew that the woman hated his guts after what had happened, and she showed him every chance she could.

"The house elves have cleaned and stocked the kitchens, just as you asked. Is there anything else?" she asked.

Severus didn't miss the fact that she never called him by his first name or address him as Headmaster.

"I want the Great Hall cleaned, I've already asked for that," he said.

"Oh, yes, it must have slipped the house elves minds," she said in a snappy tone.

Severus knew that they hadn't forgotten; she hadn't told them. She wanted him to see what he had done. Severus knew all too well what had happened. He didn't need to be reminded.

"See that it is done," he said.

Minerva remained glaring at him for a long while, and he stared back at her.

"Is there something else?" he snapped.

"Yes, there is. The entire wizarding community knows of what you did, and I hope that wherever Harry is, he's going to win this war. Those who go to this school will always remain loyal to Albus Dumbledore, no matter who holds the title of Headmaster. We are going to win this war," she snapped.

Severus remained silent, staring at her. Suddenly the curtain whipped out and Hermione stood there, instantly finding Minerva.

"Miss Granger!" the old woman cried, instantly grasping her throat.

Hermione walked towards her, and the two embraced.

"Bloody hell," Severus muttered sinking into the chair.

"What?" Hermione asked turning towards him.

"How do you expect to explain this?" he snapped at her quickly.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here, and why are you here with him?"

"Yes, why Miss Granger?" Severus asked sarcastically.

Severus knew that she disliked being called by her maiden name, especially by him. She set her jaw and viciously glared at him.

"I'm helping Severus,"

"Miss Granger, I demand that you tell me the truth! You are now referring to him by his first name, and you are _helping_ him?"

"Professor, we're all on the same side," Hermione said.

"I beg to differ, Miss Granger, I am not on the side of a man who so heartlessly murdered his own mentor!"

"I advise you to watch what you say, Minerva," Severus hissed.

"You are going to drive this school in to the ground!" she screeched.

"Professor, we're both helping Harry, I-"

"Granger, watch your step," Severus barked.

"I'm not going to leave her in the dark! We need someone here who knows what's going on," she said turning on him.

"We had a deal, Granger,"

"Stop calling me that," she growled.

"It is your name, is it not?"

"You know that it's not, not anymore,"

"Watch yourself,"

"Or what?"

The two were glaring at each other, Minerva was forgotten.

"We need her,"

"No, we do not. We've been fine so far,"

"This is different, and you know it!"

"Granger, if you don't lower your voice-"

"Severus and I are married," Hermione blurted out.

His eyes locked on her, more furious than he could ever remember feeling. In a single sentence, just to get back at him, she had ruined their cover.

"Excuse me?" Minerva suddenly asked.

"Dumbledore said that Harry needed some more time, so I agreed to help,"

"Stop talking," Severus bit out.

"Certainly this cannot be true, why, you're so-" Minerva said looking at the girl.

"Yes, I'm old enough to be her father, Minerva, you are not the first one to have that thought run through your brilliant mind," he snapped.

The three remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"Perhaps you better explain, Severus," Dumbledore's portrait suddenly said.

With a sigh, Severus launched into the story, realizing that it had almost been a year since Granger and he had begun this screwed up relationship. In fact, their relationship began long before he cared to admit. Trying to keep Minerva as far from this as possible, Severus simply began at the point when they signed the contract, making sure to clearly state that the entire plan was Dumbledore's idea, and that he was in no way involved beyond that.

When he ended the narrative, Minerva sunk into a seat, looking pale.

"Albus, what were you thinking?" she said staring up at the picture.

"Hermione can help us, Minerva. Harry is capable of winning this war, but time is working against him,"

"And how is she holding up under all of this pressure?" the old woman snapped, suddenly turning on Severus.

"I'm fine, Professor," Hermione instantly said with a smile.

"Most full grown men can't handle what you're trying to do," she said, looking at her as if she didn't believe her.

Severus had sunk back in his chair, feeling more dejected and hopeless than usual. Granted her shields were near perfect, but she now needed to learn how to project false memories in a short time. One slip, just for a second, and everything would be over for them. He would be killed, and then she would be killed, and then the hunt for Potter would intensify beyond anything Severus had ever seen.

"I promise that it's fine, Severus has been extremely helpful,"

If he hadn't spent so much time with her, he would have missed the sudden shadow that fell across her face. He knew that she was thinking about the torture she had to endure when she took his punishment.

"I hope he has," Minerva snapped and began glaring at Severus.

Severus didn't have the strength to have an argument with her now.

"Go with Minerva to her office, I have some things to take care of here," he said sighing and standing up. "Minerva, make sure she is not seen," Severus added staring across the grounds.

"Come," he heard the old woman say gently before the door opened.

Severus listened to her footsteps on the stone stairs, and allowed his shoulders to slump with a sigh of helplessness. Suddenly two arms wrapped around his waist, and he jumped slightly.

"Thank you," Hermione mumbled into his robes.

"If you ever think about doing that again, I will not be so lenient the next time," he said without moving.

"I just think that it would be good to have someone else know what's going on, just in case something happens to one of us,"

The tone in her voice immediately alerted him to the fact that she had been thinking about this for a long time, longer than he knew she'd care to admit. With a sigh, he pulled her closer to him for a moment.

"Nothing is going to happen," he said.

She pulled back, forcing their arms to drop, and gave him a tender smile.

"Just in case,"

He watched as her eyes flickered over his face for a moment before she turned and headed to the door. Severus watched her movements, wishing more than anything that they were back at Spinner's End, wrapped in the warm sheets, sleeping soundly.

The door closed softly behind her and Severus could feel the crushing weight of what they would be facing.

"You love her,"

Severus looked at the portrait, the twinkling blue eyes, and the knowing look. His heart jumped slightly as he diverted his eyes.

"No," Severus answered shortly before sinking into his chair.

"Regardless if you admit it or not, you're in love with her, I can see it in your eyes,"

"What you see is a man who has been forced into twenty years of servitude,"

"My dear boy, I haven't seen your eyes sparkle like that since Lily Potter, and even then-"

"Don't talk about her,"

"You're in love with her, and she's certainly in love with you,"

"Honestly, Albus, this isn't some sort of fairytale, we're in the middle of a war here,"

"Tell me, Severus, a year ago, would you have been so nice to Miss Granger?"

"I'm busy Albus," Severus said with a sigh.

Severus heard the man mumbling in his frame, but ignored him.


	22. Life Isn't Fair

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry this is so late, it's finals week and I've been studying for hours a day and I've finally found some free time :)**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Hermione spent the day with Minerva, in her office preparing for the new school year. No matter how much Hermione tried to change the subject, Minerva wanted all the details of her time away from school.<p>

"I hope he's treating you right, given what you're doing," she snapped while shuffling some papers.

"Severus has been wonderful, given the circumstances,"

"I don't think I've ever heard someone describe Severus Snape as 'wonderful' before,"

"He is, it's just no one really tried to look,"

Minerva straightened up and studied the girl closely. Hermione fidgeted a moment, uncomfortable with her staring.

"What?" Hermione finally asked.

"There's something between the two of you…and I don't know that I like it,"

Hermione felt the blood rush into her face, and she quickly lowered her eyes to her lap. What was she to say? Yes, she was sure she was in love with her former Professor? She cared about him more and more and when he went to meetings she anxiously sat around to make sure he would come back safely?

"You should be on your guard. Severus is not a man who makes attachments. For as long as I've known him, he's never once had a decent friend,"

"I know," Hermione replied softly.

He did care for her, didn't he? Her mind flitted back to the day she was tortured. He had held her tightly in an effort to help her screaming muscles. When she was about to leave for Headquarters, he was afraid that she would be hurt, or that she wouldn't come back. She chewed her lip for a moment. How could he think that she wouldn't come back? She couldn't just leave him! She'd never leave him. As long as he needed her, she would be there for him.

Minerva asked about the Dark Lord, but Hermione never revealed much information about that. If she knew Hermione had been tortured, Severus would never hear the end of it. It was at a time like this that Hermione wished she had Remus to talk to. And idea suddenly popped into her head.

Pulling out a spare piece of parchment, Hermione dipped her quill in ink and began furiously began to scribble.

_Dear Remus,_

_How are you? I know you've gone into hiding, and I was afraid to write to you and give away your position. _

_Have you heard from Tonks yet? Where is she staying?_

_Everything is going fine here. I'm afraid that I can't reveal much more in case someone intercepts this._

_I'm at Hogwarts now, with Severus. He's getting ready for the new school year. The school isn't the same anymore. It's dead. I'm not allowed to be seen, but Minerva knows everything, we told her earlier today._

_Things are already getting more difficult, and I know that this is only the beginning. We have a long road ahead of us._

_Hope all is well,_

_H.G_

Hermione paused for a moment, studying her initials, before viciously scribbling them out and replacing them. She smiled at the change on the paper.

_H.S_

Hermione used Minerva's owl to send her letter, and spent a long moment staring into the sky, wishing that she was flying along with it, but knowing she wouldn't leave Severus' side for anything in the world. He had been alone far too long, and it was time he had someone to lean on when he needed help.

The day passed slowly, and only when night had fallen did Hermione leave the classroom to make her way back to Dumbledore's office. Quickly she made her way up the stairs and into the room, lit only with the fireplace. Her eyes instantly landed on his face, which was drawn and pale, as if it had aged in a matter of hours.

"Is everything alright?" she asked approaching the desk.

His eyes locked with hers, and she immediately knew that he had shut himself down, and she wouldn't be getting through his harsh exterior tonight. Without a word he tossed a letter across the desk and she gently picked it up.

Harsh lettering splattered across the paper, and a chill ran up her spine at knowledge of whose handwriting it was.

_Severus,_

_I have decided that you should have some help with your new task. Alecto Carrow will be taking up the post of Muggle Studies, where the new curriculum will be to teach the children what abominations Muggles are. Also, Amycus Carrow will be taking the post of the Dark Arts where we will train students not to defend against the Dark Arts, but how to perform such actions. I have also given them guidelines on how the children should be punished if they disobey._

The letter was not signed, but it didn't need to be.

Hermione raised her eyes to Severus who was slightly slumped in his chair.

"This is barbaric! How-how can he do this?"

"He took over the Ministry, he can do anything he wants and kill those who stand in their way," was the tired response she received.

"What of the punishment? Surely they can't do much more than give detentions,"

"They are Death Eaters, what do you think they are going to do? Detention isn't in their vocabulary,"

Hermione sunk into a chair with the letter hanging limply in her fingers. She studied Severus closely, noticing that he was making a point of avoiding her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"What can we do?"

Hermione swallowed deeply. They were trapped. Either punish people in inhumane ways, or die trying to resist, which in turn would end Harry's chance at winning the war.

She stood up and tossed the letter back on his desk in disgust.

"It's horrible,"

Severus nodded and sat back in his chair with closed eyes.

"You should sleep," she mentioned, seeing the dark circles under his eyes.

His lip switched slightly as he eyes peeled open.

"Are you giving the orders now?" he asked with an amused smirk.

"No, it's just that you look like death,"

He rolled his eyes and stood before heading to the doors.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To my chambers. I've spent too much time in this room today as it is; you can have the room here,"

Before she could say anything the door closed with a soft thud. Here? She was to sleep here? Why couldn't they just stay together? She didn't want to be by herself here, not now, not when everything seemed so dead. Why was he so keen to have them stay apart?

Hermione found the bedroom, and found that her stuff had been sent from Spinner's End and was arranged in the room already. She quickly got ready for bed, and slipped between the clean smelling sheets.

Sleep was eager to avoid her. After hours of tossing, turning, and jumping at every sound, Hermione pulled on her bathrobe, grabbed her wand, and left the room.

The halls were more eerie than she ever remembered them to be. They held a certain beauty to it, but it was twisted and warped by the memories that stained the stone. Shuttering slightly, Hermione quickened her steps down the familiar stone stairs into the chilly hallways of the dungeon.

The last time she had come this way, Severus had come back from one of his meetings, the owner of horrible injuries. She still remembered how to get into the room.

A wave of her wand and three taps of a nail later, the door containing a knight swung open, revealing the dark rooms to her unadjusted eyes. Feeling around, Hermione made her way through the sitting room and easily into the bedroom. Blinking quickly, she saw his body under the sheets to one side of the bed, so she silently made her way to the other side. Placing her wand down and sliding off her bathrobe, she slipped into bed, and Severus was immediately awake.

"What are you doing?" he hissed viciously at her after he slid his wand back under his pillow.

"I can't sleep," she said quietly, staring at him with wide eyes.

"So you thought you'd just sneak in here?"

"I didn't exactly have another place to go,"

"Remind me to change the wards in the morning," he said with a groan settling back down.

"I don't want to be alone up there,"

"There isn't anyone else here but staff,"

"Well, there was only the two of us at Spinner's End," she said wringing the sheets in her hand nervously.

She felt his fingers encircle her wrist lightly and she froze.

"I promised Albus that I would keep you safe, and I am making sure that you are. Before I left I warded your room,"

"But you also warded the house,"

"Those were basic wards; the ones around your room are more complicated,"

"I still don't like the idea of being left alone,"

A slight tug on her wrist made her sigh as she stretched out beside him, feeling his warmth in the sheets. Hermione wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in his arms so she could sleep.

"How do you think they're doing?" she suddenly asked into the darkness.

"Who?" he murmured.

"Harry and Ron,"

"I don't know, but Potter taking care of Weasley after his injury is a concerning thing,"

"Do you think they would have told me if things were going wrong?"

"Would you tell them?"

"No,"

Silence stretched on and Hermione was beginning to think that he had fallen asleep.

"I wish that you would tell me what Albus told you to do, I could find something to help you,"

"It's too dangerous to let anyone know,"

He sighed deeply and her fingers searched for his hand, which he allowed her to take.

"If I need help, I'll tell you,"

His only response was to give her hand a small squeeze, and the two fell asleep soon after, lost in their own thoughts of what the future was to bring.

The next morning Hermione was up early, though she didn't move from the bed and the warmth. Peeling her eyes opened, she immediately noticed that Severus was not in the room. She wished that he was just so she could be with him.

A sudden pop made Hermione jump until she saw two large eyes staring up at her from the side of her bed.

"Dobby?" Hermione asked beginning to smile.

"Master told Dobby that he was to bring Mistress breakfast when she woke up," he squeaked before placing a tray on the table in the living room.

Hermione followed him into the room smiling at her old friend.

"How have you been?" she asked, taking a seat while he began making tea.

"Very well, after Master Dumbledore was killed, all of the elves were upset, but Master Snape has been very kind to us all,"

"He has?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.

"Oh yes, he gave us very nice places to stay and doesn't overwork us, but some of us wish that we did have work to do. It is much better than Dobby's old master. Dobby is no longer punished for his actions,"

Hermione felt her chest swell. Severus was so kind to the elves, even after being in the presence of Lucius Malfoy for twenty years and being forced into the current situation.

"Where is Severus?" Hermione asked.

"I saw Master leave the castle this morning to walk around the lake,"

Hermione quickly ate and got dressed before slowly making her way from the room being sure that no one was in the hallway with her. As she passed some windows, her eyes strayed to the lake, where sure enough, she could easily spot his figure. Hermione stood there, fingers grasping the cold stone with the cool breeze ruffling her messy hair.

Severus didn't move, he simply stood there, staring out across the lake as the squid pulled itself back into the dark depths. Hermione felt sorry for him. For the past twenty years he has been forced to do things he didn't want to do, and now he was forced to work under the Dark Lord's orders.

Hermione knew that he cared about everyone in this school, even if he often acted the opposite. He didn't want them to be punished by the Carrows, he was the one who was responsible for them. She sighed deeply as he lowered himself to the ground, dropping his head into his hands.

Hermione instantly made her way down the stairs and to the entrance hall before entering the cold grounds. She spotted his form instantly and began trekking across the dew covered grass. If he had heard her coming, he made no move to pick himself up.

"You should come back inside, it's cold out here," she said quietly.

He turned his face away from her, so she sat beside him with a sigh.

"How do you do it?" she finally asked him as they watched the squid's tentacle break the surface for a moment.

"Do what?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"What you've been doing the past twenty years, I don't know how you've made it this far," she said.

"After a while you learn to shut yourself off from the world and your emotions," he mumbled.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's not fair to you,"

"Life isn't fair,"

Hermione shivered and pulled herself closer to his warmth. She just wanted to hug him, kiss him, and tell him that she loved him. Hermione finally allowed herself to think the words in her head. She was in love with Severus Snape, and nothing in this world could change that. If he never knew it, Hermione would be fine with that, as long as she could stay with him throughout the war and support him when things became tough.

His body suddenly went tense and she lifted her head.

"What?"

"The Carrows," he grounded out through his teeth.

Hermione looked up in the sky and saw two balls of black smoke barreling towards them. Severus jumped up and pulled her along with him.

"They can't see you,"

"Why not? Don't they already know?"

"Regardless if they do or not, Amycus will stop at nothing, even orders from the Dark Lord. He has a rather large hatred towards…those who are not purebloods,"

"Mudbloods," she said, seeing that he winced at the words.

"Yes," Severus replied tearing his eyes away from her face and back towards the sky.

Without another word, he pulled his wand out and pointed it at her causing her to recoil slightly. A warmth suddenly washed over her and she noticed that she was suddenly invisible.

"Get back to the castle, immediately. Go to my chambers, not my office," he whispered quickly to her.

"Be careful," she blurted out.

A small smile graced his features before it was suddenly gone.

"Go, before they get here,"


	23. So Much Like You

**Hey!**

**Lets try and reach 150 reviews! That would be awesome!**

**Read, review and most of all, ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>Immediately she began running to the castle without a single glance behind her. Without stopping Hermione ran back to his room and threw herself on the sofa, breathing heavily and removing the charm from her body. Her eyes drifted around the silent room as she desperately fought to catch her breath.<p>

What was she going to do now? Wait here? If she did leave, Severus would be furious with her for so blatantly putting herself in danger. No doubt the Carrows would be stalking the hallways for the rest of the day.

So Hermione paced around the room, staring at the door and repeatedly picking up books and throwing them back down.

"Dobby?" Hermione called.

A sudden pop alerted Hermione to Dobby's presence.

"Mistress called?"

"Do you know where Severus is?"

"In his office, Madame,"

"Are…are there people in his office with him?"

"Yes Madame…it's the bad people," Dobby said quietly.

Hermione nodded and lowered herself onto the sofa.

"Will you please tell me when they leave?" she said.

"Of course, Mistress, anything you wish," he said bowing slightly.

"Dobby, you can call Hermione,"

Instantly the elf looked uncomfortable.

"If Mistress insists," Dobby muttered.

Hermione gave the elf a wide smile, and she saw his ears perk up.

"Will that be all?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you, Dobby,"

With a graceful bow, the elf vanished.

Hermione curled up on the sofa, thinking of Severus and what must be happening in his office. Within moments she was asleep on the sofa with her hair spilling across the cushion.

Again she found herself in Malfoy Manor, hearing the screams that she had grown so accustomed to. Her legs automatically pulled her up the stairs and to the familiar scene. Severus was sprawled across the floor, his black robes spread around him but covered in dirt. Voldemort stood over him with a wicked grin on his face, which proceeded to grow as he spotted Hermione.

"You can't help him now, Mudblood,"

Again he began attacking Severus, and Hermione was screaming for him to stop. She watched as Severus' eyes rolled back into his head and the veins protruded in his temple.

"Stop! Please stop!" she screamed, not being able to move forward and help him.

Voldemort turned towards her, smiling widely, revealing his horrible teeth.

"As you wish,"

A flash of green light caused her to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. Looking up quickly, she saw Severus sprawled out, still, with his limbs sticking out in odd angles.

"No! NO!" she screamed as the tears poured down her face.

"Don't worry, you won't be far behind him," a cold voice rang out.

Just as Hermione looked up, a green flash darted towards her and smashed into her body with a POP.

Hermione jolted up with a gasp and instantly saw that Dobby was at her feet, looking worried and saying something.

"What?" Hermione asked breathing heavily.

The door suddenly opened and Dobby disappeared with a pop. Hermione looked towards the door and immediately found dark eyes studying her closely.

"Who was that?" he asked, shutting the door softly.

"Who?" she asked, still trying to catch her breath.

"The elf," he muttered, entering the room.

"Dobby," Hermione replied, noticing that she was drenched in sweat.

"They're getting worse," Severus said when he reached the couch.

"What?" she asked absently while standing quickly.

"The dreams,"

Hermione refused to meet his eyes and he instantly grabbed her chin, forcing her face upwards. Those eyes. Her mind immediately flitted to her dream, seeing the lifelessness in the dark eyes she had grown to love. His eyes were burning now, contrasting greatly from what she was forced to see nearly every night.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said breathlessly.

"Like hell you don't," he snapped while pulling his hand away from her skin.

She lowered her eyes to her hands which were still shaking. Severus walked into another room and she could hear bottles clanking together violently. In a moment he was back in front of her, holding out a small bottle filled with a slightly brown liquid.

"I don't want it, I'm fine," she said even though she didn't know what it was.

"It's a Calming Draught, at least if you're going to lie, make it believable," he snapped, thrusting the small vial into her hand.

Hermione glared at his back for a moment before quickly swallowing the potion, feeling the sweetness on her tongue. Once the vial was placed on the table, she began picking at her already short nails.

"You spoke to the Carrows?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered shortly.

"And?"

"And what?" he asked whirling on her.

"I don't know," she said, drawing away from him slightly feeling uncomfortable with his attitude.

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment before settling them on her face. Hermione knew that he was drawing himself in, trying to control his temper.

"What do you want to know?" he asked quietly.

"What did they talk about?"

"Themselves," he said with a small humorless laugh while sinking into a chair near the fireplace.

She sat down on the sofa, keeping her eyes trained on his face.

"What were they saying?"

"They want to know how lavish their quarters will be," he replied with a scoff. " They're convinced that because we are…involved in the same things, that they will get special treatment, which is certainly not the case. I'm afraid I've given them a reason to pursue harsher disciplinary action when the opportunity arises,"

"They can't just punish people for no reason," Hermione said quietly.

"We are no longer in a world in which people maintain socially acceptable boundaries. The Ministry has fallen into the wrong hands. If the Carrows wish to torture a student, there is no one to stop them,"

Hermione didn't know what to do, so she gently placed her hand over his white knuckles and he turned to her suddenly.

"Your hand is cold,"

"Sorry," she said pulling her hand away.

He was suddenly on his feet in front of her and pressed his hand against her forehead. She remained still.

"You have a fever,"

"I feel fine,"

He pulled his hand away and looked down into her eyes as if he was trying to pull the truth from her mind.

"You've felt like this before, haven't you?"

Hermione studied his face for a moment, seeing the lines etched into his skin and the years of wear and tear.

"Yes," she said dropping her eyes.

"How often?"

"Every time I have the dream,"

"And how often is that?"

"Nearly every night,"

Severus lowered himself onto the couch beside her, allowing his head to fall back with his eyes closed. Hermione tucked her legs under herself as she studied his face.

"What does it mean, the fever and all," she asked.

"I believe the Dark Lord is attempting to weaken your defenses before you go before him,"

"How does he know that I've been practicing my shields?"

"He doesn't, he just assumes that Dumbledore taught you before…"

Hermione saw him flinch slightly and didn't push the subject. She leaned back into the couch as she thought through her dream. It all made sense to her now, and she knew what Voldemort was getting at. Hermione knew that it was all her fault. The day she offered to take Severus' punishment, she set the gears turning in that monster's head.

Hermione turned her eyes back to Severus, who was studying her closely.

"I played right into his hands," she said, staring at him.

"There's still time to strengthen your defenses again, and stop the dreams,"

Hermione stood up and walked to the fireplace. Having these dreams made her feel weak and helpless. She was allowing him to have power over her. The thought made her blood boil.

"You're disappointed in yourself," Severus said from the couch.

"Of course I am," she snapped crossing her arms over her chest.

"He did the same thing to me, twenty years ago,"

Hermione turned to him, and saw the anguish in his eyes that he tries too hard to keep locked up inside of himself. Severus suddenly stood and looked at her.

"We should start with the false memories; the Dark Lord is going to be asking for you any day now,"

The two remained in his chambers practicing for hours, until Dobby appeared and said that the train had pulled into the station. Hermione sunk into a chair with a sigh. The hours of practice had drained her of energy. Severus slipped his wand back into his robes and rubbed his face.

"I'll be back, after this dreadful dinner," he muttered pulling on his teaching robes.

Hermione stretched her aching muscles and sat back in her chair. She desperately wished she could be on the Hogwarts Express with her friends, buying things off the trolley and laughing with everyone. Instead, she would be forced to sit alone in the dungeons, not going to her classes, not speaking to her friends, and especially not going to the library.

Fingers brushed her chin and she immediately looked up to find Severus looking down at her.

"You did very well today," he murmured as his thumb brushed against her cheek.

Hermione's heart jumped into her throat as his eyes flashed over her face. After another second passed, he pulled his hand away and swiftly left the room. Hermione dropped her head into her hands with a sigh. How could she not allow these dreams to affect her? She was so hopelessly in love with him that any thought of bodily harm coming to him made her stomach twist. And the worst part about it was that the Dark Lord knew her weakness and would continue to us it against her.

Grabbing a book off the shelf, and a blanket, she curled up near the fire, trying to distract herself. Since she watched Severus on the floor of Malfoy Manor, she had set her mind to brewing a potion that could lessen the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Whenever she was alone, she was taking notes, performing calculations, paying attention to intricate details of the potion she was anxious to try out. Plus, ever since Severus helped her after that day, she owed him more than anything.

After a while, Hermione heard rumbling from overhead, signaling the end of the feast. She closed her book and placed it off to the side while tugging the blanket tighter around her body. The noise slowly died away, but Severus did not return. Hermione desperately wanted to sneak up to her old room and see all of her old friends. Ginny was probably upstairs now, getting ready for bed.

Hermione anxiously glanced at the clock as the silence ticked on. What was taking him so long? Finally the portrait of the knight swung opened, while the knight complained loudly about being so rudely awakened.

Before she could say anything, black robes whipped into the room viciously, causing her to jump. Without looking at her, Severus immediately went to the cabinet where he kept the most expensive liquors he owned and pulled out a dusty looking bottle. Quickly he filled a glass and swallowed the contents before refilling his glass.

Hermione jumped up and grabbed his wrist before he could down another glass.

"Severus-"

"Let go!" he snapped, wrenching his wrist from her grasp and swallowing the contents again.

"Severus, what happened?" she asked reaching for him again.

The glass suddenly went hurling across the room and shattered violently against the stone wall.

"This is my school now! I will not have the scum of the wizarding world attempt to come in here and undermine me! I will remove them from their positions and I don't give a damn what the Dark Lord thinks!" he roared.

Hermione stood back, completely petrified. She had never seen him so angry before, and she knew that she needed to stay out of the way and let him clear his head. A moment later he sunk into the armchair by the fire, muttering to himself.

Hermione felt her heart clench at the sight. Severus Snape could conduct himself with so much power and force, causing any living thing to shutter, but at other times, he was just a sensitive man who had become buried under twenty years of servitude.

She quietly walked over to him and kneeled in front of him, taking his hands gently in hers, soothingly stroking the coarse flesh. A few minutes passed and he still refused to meet her gaze.

"What happened?" she finally asked quietly.

She watched as he swallowed deeply and took a deep breath.

"I found them in the hallway, after all the students had gone to bed,"

Hermione gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"There was a Ravenclaw girl there,"

Hermione tightened her hold on his fingers as he breath caught in her throat.

"They thought it would be good to set an example early on, using a first year girl,"

"No!" Hermione gasped throwing her hands over her mouth.

"I took her to the Hospital Wing. She was still out cold," he murmured.

"Well…it's a good thing you were there," Hermione muttered, not finding anything better to say.

Severus slowly reached out and took a small lock of her hair between his fingers. Hermione stared at him, watching his eyes watching his fingers.

"When I first found her…I thought…she looked…she looked so much like you,"

Hermione instantly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tighter than she ever had before. She desperately enjoyed these moments when he revealed to her a small bit of himself. Hermione sighed deeply.

"You can't throw them out, you know that,"

"I know," he muttered, sounding so broken that Hermione pulled him tighter against her.

After another moment, Hermione stoop up, forcing their arms apart.

"I think we should turn in, its been a long day,"

Without a single retort, Severus prepared himself for bed, and instantly fell asleep when he climbed beneath the sheets.


	24. Grasping for Time

**Hey! I know, I'm sort of late, but I've been without Internet for 4-5 days, and it is 4 AM right now, and I just got back from a 18 hour car ride, and immediately came to update :) So be happy! I didn't forget you!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Slowly the weeks crept by. Hermione spent most of her time reading, working on taking notes for her new potion, and conversing with various house elves. Rarely did she see Severus during the day. He often stayed in his office, or stalked the halls, pretending to be looking for troublemakers, but really making sure the Carrows were keeping their wands to themselves. He would often eat lunch with her, but Hermione didn't like being forced to see the strain on his face every day. Being Headmaster was slowly wearing him down, faster than his twenty years playing spy ever did.<p>

At nights, Hermione would wait in his chambers for him, and the moment he would get back, he would take his usual spot in the chair near the fireplace. From there, they engaged in small conversation, and Hermione usually read aloud from a novel before he turned in early.

The process would repeat itself every day, causing Hermione to slip into her own thoughts about Harry and Ron, and the mission Albus had given them.

One morning, Hermione awoke to something putting pressure on her back. She swatted it away and groaned before burying her face in a pillow. It was far too early to be up, and she was up late last night taking furious notes.

"Go away," she snapped, thinking Severus was trying to get her up.

There was a vibration in her hair…and her eyes widened. What on Earth was that? Instantly Hermione flipped over, and was met by a flash of ginger fur.

"Crookshanks?" she cried, quickly scooping the cat up and hugging it tightly.

Purring contently, the cat nuzzled her face, causing Hermione to grin widely.

"I've missed you so much!"

She pulled her eyes from the cat to stare at the man standing at the bottom of the bed, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"You needed something to cheer you up," he said.

Instantly she dropped the cat to the bed, and launched herself at his body, forcing him to catch her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how amazing this is!" Hermione squealed happily while still clinging to the man in black.

"Don't mention it," he muttered, going to place her feet back on the ground.

Hermione pulled back to look into his eyes before quickly kissing his cheek. The action caused him to loosen his arms around her, and his eyes to flash in a way that made her stomach flip.

"How did you get him?" she asked, pulling herself away and turning back to the cat who was anxiously standing on the end of the bed, begging for her attention.

"Minerva knew that the Weasleys were keeping him. She offered to take him off their hands…considering…well, what they are going through,"

Hermione lovingly stroked the ginger cat, who anxiously paced back and forth in order to feel her touch.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful you were," she murmured while scratching his ear.

Finally she looked up at the man she loved, seeing him studying her closely. Hermione hugged him again, this time hanging on.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," she murmured into his neck.

His arms instantly wrapped around her, and Hermione smiled, noticing that he didn't even hesitate at the action like he used to do. After another moment, she pulled away and casually brushed a piece of lint from his shoulder.

"Do you have to go?" she asked without meeting his gaze.

He shook his head, remaining silent. Hermione raised her eyes to his, holding his gaze evenly. She pondered how much had changed over almost a year. Never before could she hold the Potion Master's gaze as she was now, or be so close to him without feeling petrified. Now all she could feel was completely and utterly safe with him.

God, she loved him, she thought with a sigh. Hermione wanted to be in his arms forever, feeling the powerful arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the world.

A sudden pop in the room alerted them to Dobby's presence.

"Mater told Dobby to inform him if he was late to breakfast," Dobby said, looking like a frightened animal.

"I'll be eating here today, Dobby," Severus said, looking at the house elf for a moment before turning his eyes back to her.

Hermione gave him a soft smile just as Crookshanks pawed her hand, begging for attention. She turned to him with a smile before kneeling at the foot of the bed to be at eye level with him.

"You're such a good boy, aren't you?" she said softly.

Severus scoffed behind her, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" she asked when he didn't give her an answer.

"Your cat is the epitome of evil,"

"No he's not!" Hermione protested.

"Yes, he is,"

"What did he do to you?"

"He attacked my feet this morning, not to mention he has been giving me dirty looks since he laid eyes on me,"

"Well, what did you do to him?" she asked.

"Nothing,"

"I'm sure you did something to offend him," Hermione said scooping the cat up and holding it tightly to her chest.

"It's a cat," Severus said rolling his eyes.

"He has feelings too," Hermione instantly protested.

Severus shook his head and went out to the living room where Dobby had appeared with breakfast. Hermione joined him, and spent the meal slipping small scraps to Crookshanks who stayed firmly planted at her feet like a mini guard dog.

"I'm sure that Dobby was instructed to feed you, not the fur ball,"

"He's hungry,"

Severus stared at her across the table with the paper in his hands.

"I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea," he murmured.

"No it wasn't, if you didn't bring him, I'd be-"

Hermione cut herself off and instantly began eating.

"You would what?"

"Nothing," she mumbled quickly.

"I've learned that whenever you don't tell me something, I have reason to be suspicious,"

She was not going to tell him about her plans for the potion to help with the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Absolutely not.

"I'm not going to tell you, and don't you dare try and sneak into my mind when I'm least expecting it,"

"Remember what I said about secrets?" he said in a slightly colder tone.

"Well you keep them from me, and I think we're getting along just fine," Hermione snapped while standing from the table.

Another house elf showed up with an envelope for Severus at that moment, preventing his snide remark.

"Go," he snapped to the elf.

Hermione turned to yell at him to be nice to the house elves but then noticed that his face had become pale and his knuckles white. She didn't move a muscle as she took in his face, watching the dark irises dart back and forth.

Finally he placed the sheet of paper down, avoiding her eyes altogether. Hermione felt her heart pounding in her ears and her breathing quicken. Not much startled Severus Snape, and when something did, Hermione knew that it was bad.

"He…he wants to see you,"

Hermione didn't need to be told who was waiting for her.

"When?" she asked barely moving her lips.

"The end of the week, Friday," he said quietly.

Hermione took a deep breath, forcing her fear inside of her. She needed to be strong for the both of them. She was scared to go, and he was scared for her to go. If Severus saw anything in her countenance, he would immediately suggest that they drop the whole thing.

"Friday is my birthday," Hermione mumbled quietly.

"The nineteenth?"

She nodded solemnly and slipped into the bedroom. They both needed some time to think and time away from one another. They couldn't feed off of each other's fear.

The days darted by, and Hermione was desperately grasping for time. Each minute that ticked by, Hermione felt her heart beat slightly harder. It was a constant state of anxiousness.

Hermione also found herself watching the nervous tendencies that Severus often displayed. His eyes would dart around the room every few minutes as if he was making sure nothing was sneaking in and invading their space. He nervously fingered the pages in his books, drummed his fingers on his knee or the table top, rubbed his face, tore his hand through his hair and often paced for hours on end.

Thursday night arrived and Severus was pacing back and forth in front of the fire with his arms crossed behind his back and his brow furrowed in thought. Hermione had a book opened on her lap, but she couldn't focus on anything but his footsteps falling on stone, then the carpet in front of the fireplace, and then stone again. Over and over she listened to the sound.

"Please stop," she finally said in a desperate tone that made him freeze and turn to her. "You're making me nervous, I'm nervous enough as it is," she barely whispered without meeting his eyes.

In a swift motion he was seated beside her, and she didn't move a muscle. She could feel it; Hermione could feel the time slipping through their fingers like the sand on the beach. She knew that this was potentially the last night they would spend together, if she made a wrong move tomorrow.

Suddenly he extended a hand to her, and Hermione instantly grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers. They sat there for over an hour, their hands resting on the couch between them, both staring into the fire, thinking about what tomorrow would bring.

"Come," Severus finally muttered, pulling her up and into the bedroom.

Hermione reluctantly got ready for bed, knowing that the sooner she would slip between the covers, the sooner the sun would rise, and the sooner they would be thrust into their uncertain fates.

Regardless, Hermione fell asleep in an instant, the stress and worry of the week finally wearing her down.

The next morning, the moment she regained consciousness, Hermione jolted up in bed, finding Severus still asleep beside her. She got ready, spending extra time on her appearance in order to distract herself. She went into the living room and straightened some books, and then straightened them again before rearranging them once again.

A knock came from the door and Hermione pulled open the picture, finding Dobby standing there with a large package.

"Dobby, why didn't you just come in?" she asked, instantly taking the package from his shaking arms.

"Dobby was afraid Master would be awake,"

"Severus? Why would you be afraid of him?"

"He often tells Dobby to not come in unless he knocks,"

"Oh, well, what is this?" she asked, eyeing the package with no name on it.

"It's Mistresses birthday gifts," Dobby said.

"Oh," Hermione said, placing the package on the table and staring at it.

"Dobby collected them all and put them together for Mistress,"

"Thank you, Dobby," she said smiling at the elf.

"Not at all, and happy birthday," he said with a bow before disappearing.

Hermione turned to stare at the package. She felt as if it were going to attack her. She didn't want to see how many people cared for her, it would only remind her of what she had the potential of losing.

She stepped forward and tore the paper away. Instantly she saw packages wrapped in different colors with many different designs.

Picking up the smallest, appearing to be a box, was a parcel wrapped in newspaper. A note was attached to it, written in a familiar scrawl. Eagerly she tore open the paper and sat down.

_Hermione,_

_I was so glad to receive your letter; it has been lonely since I left home. Tonks is staying with her parents…we're going to be parents, can you believe it? The thought scares me half to death. What if I pass my problem down to him? I'd never be able to forgive myself. _

_Living underground isn't the best thing in the world. Those of us who won't join the other side are forced to live in exile. I'd stay here forever if it meant Tonks and our baby will be okay. Bill said that I could stay with him and Fleur, but I wouldn't want to impose on them._

_I have the feeling that the worst is yet to come. After the wedding, most of us were tortured and questioned, but we stayed strong. Shortly after, things for my kind became difficult, and the day after Tonks told me we were expecting, I was forced to leave to protect her and our child._

_Enough about me, how are you holding up? I hope Severus is taking good care of you. Things are going to become more dangerous than you've ever known before, and you need to be ready for that._

_I'm afraid I can't say much more. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy birthday._

_Your friend,_

_Remus_

Hermione fell into a chair choking on her tears. It only reminded her of what she had the possibility of losing. With fumbling hands she peeled away the newspaper and found a small wooden box. Opening the lid, she found a beautiful quill; the stark white feather was perfect in every way. Gently she ran her finger over the silky feather and sighed. It was the most beautiful quill she had ever seen before.

Placing the box down, she looked at the other packages. One was clearly a Weasley package. Hermione opened that one next and was met with one of Molly's knitted sweaters she had always loved. Quickly she pulled it over her tank top she usually wore to bed and smiled at the warmth. Hermione wondered how on earth Molly had managed to get this package to her. Regardless, she was happy. There was a small box of candy along with a birthday card that literally sang to her. She instantly slammed it shut in fear of waking Severus.

There was another package wrapped in plain paper, and Hermione worked on that one next. A note slipped out, written in green ink.

_Hermione,_

_I know you must be getting restless sitting around, so I took it upon myself to give you something I know you surely must miss._

_Minerva _

Hermione looked down and nearly squealed in excitement. There was a stack of textbooks along with the 7th year curriculum. Minerva had even gone as far as getting the schedules for each of the classes to inform her when they would be covering certain material. Even if she couldn't be in class, she could at least learn the same material. Instantly she set to flipping through the books and quickly scanning though the material. It certainly would give her something to do while she sat around here doing nothing.

Hermione lifted her eyes to glance around at the table littered with paper, notes, and gifts, and couldn't believe that so many people cared for her. All in the same moment the task that was at hand came crashing down on her. Suddenly the wishes of a happy birthday faded and washed away from her thoughts.

It wasn't until Severus emerged from the room dressed in his impeccable attire did Hermione finally come back to the present.

"Good morning," she mumbled jumping up and cleaning the table while secretly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Morning," he muttered taking in the scene before him while adjusting his cuffs. "What on _Earth_ are you wearing?" he asked after another moment.

"It's from Molly," she said stacking her books and avoiding his eyes.

"Of course it is," he muttered before sighing deeply.

Hermione's hands were shaking and her heart was pounding quickly in her chest. She knew the time was coming. She could practically feel Voldemort breathing down her neck. Swallowing deeply, Hermione clutched a textbook to her chest.

"What-what time?" she asked quietly.

"After dinner,"

Hermione nodded and scooped up her books before hiding out in the bedroom. She was resolved to stay there the rest of the day and bury herself in 'school work'. For hours she poured over textbooks and parchment littered the bed and floor around her, but she still furiously scribbled notes while hunched over.

Severus left shortly after he spoke to her in the living room, and Hermione felt herself grateful for the fact. She had spent numerous times hunched over the toilet, breathing heavily with sweaty hands.

Hermione knew that the time would come eventually, but still, she prayed that time stopped at some point, preventing her from leaving.

But the more she wished time to slow, the faster it seemed to creep by. The moment she heard the portrait swing open, Hermione wished that she could just disappear off the face of the Earth. Her heart was pounding loudly and her head was spinning.


	25. Happy Birthday

**Hey guys!**

**I just wanted to thank you for all the reviews! Lets try for 170? Your reviews really inspire me to keep going seeing as there are TONS of you who enjoy this :)**

**Special note to ErinMiggErin: I actually began writing this over the summer, literally, I locked myself in my room for about two weeks and was spitting out about 30,000 words a day. Once I got to school, I all but stopped writing this, but I just started posting what I had already written in the summer. I try to write however many pages I posted that week. For example, this chapter is 10 pages, so by next Tuesday, I'll try to have another ten done so I never catch up with myself. I find writting chapter by chapter never works for me. Right now, in word, this story is 294 pages long, and I just posted number 238. It's one HUGE document, but I split it into chapters as I post it. Hope I didn't ramble too much :)**

**Read, enjoy, and review!**

* * *

><p>Without saying a word she slid her books from her lap and climbed from the bed before pulling on her travelling cloak. Taking a deep breath she left the bedroom and found Severus leaning against the liquor cabinet, with a glass in his hand. Briefly her eyes flitted to his figure, and in that time he offered the glass to her, but she shook her head once and turned away to stand near the door.<p>

Hermione heard him approach her, but she didn't dare look at him. Suddenly a package was being held out to her, and there was no mistaking the shape; it was a book. Instinctively her hands reached for it, but it was suddenly pulled away from her, and she raised her eyes to his which were burning deeply.

"You can only get this under one condition," he said, staring straight into her eyes.

She didn't move a muscle.

"I want you to fight when you're in there, do you understand? You are not going to let him win. I don't even care if you don't use the memories we've been working on, but in three hours, you're going to walk back in here, okay?"

The emotions Hermione had been trying to bottle up all day came bubbling to the surface. She nodded her head as tears filled her eyes. His knuckles were white as he held the book tightly in his grip. For another moment the two stood awkwardly together, not meeting each other's eyes. Finally, Severus placed the parcel down and grabbed his travelling cloak.

Hermione stumbled into the hallway, taking deep breaths and swiping away tears in the process. Severus joined her a moment later and instantly took her hand before Apparating. When they touched the ground, Hermione instantly turned on him.

"How did you do that?"

Severus looked at her as if she had just asked him how he breathed.

"I've read in _Hogwarts: A History_ that it's impossible to Apparate on school grounds, there are enchantments to prevent travelling,"

Severus offered her a small smirk before pulling her towards the house that threatened to swallow them whole.

"Being Headmaster does have its perks," he said with a small smile in his voice.

"You can Apparate on grounds?" she asked, amazed.

"Yes, I can,"

"That's…that's amazing," she said, her mind whirling in an effort to grasp the fact that he had just proved her favorite book wrong.

Her wonder quickly ended as they began to climb the steps of the house. Hermione gripped his hand tighter as the door opened. Hermione withdrew slightly at the sight of Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman eyed Severus up and down with a gleam in her eye and a smirk on her lips. If Hermione wasn't so frightened, she would have glared at her.

The woman's eyes flashed to Hermione, and her face viciously twisted into a sneer, as if Hermione was nothing but a pile of garbage on the front step. She spit at her feet, and Hermione pulled back slightly.

"Watch yourself, Bella, I'm growing tired of your childish antics," Severus bit out.

"Really? I'm surprised that you haven't grown tired of this little-"

"Bella, I'm not going to warn you again,"

"Come Severus," she purred out, running a boney finger down his chest. "Certainly you can't be happy with just this Mudblood…you know I'm always free,"

Hermione found herself digging her fingers into the back of his hand.

"The Dark Lord requested a meeting, and that is the only business that I've come here for. You can take your…services elsewhere,"

Her face suddenly became very cold as her back straightened.

"He only wants the filth, not you," she snapped.

Severus stiffened slightly.

"I was entrusted with this task, I do not trust you," he sneered.

"I don't care! The Dark Lord told me to bring it up, and you are to wait out here!" she screeched.

Instantly Bellatrix snatched Hermione's free arm and yanked her forward and into the house. Hermione cried out, still straining to keep Severus with her, but it was no use. His fingers were yanked from hers as she was forced into the dark, musky house.

"No!" Hermione cried turning and reaching for him.

She saw a flash of panic in his dark eyes as his hand began to reach for her, but before much more could happen, Bellatrix slammed the door shut, sealing Hermione inside, alone. As Hermione's hands touched the door, something smashed into the small of her back, causing her to cry out and crumble to the floor.

"I've been waiting a long time to do that," Bellatrix hissed in the dark. "It's a shame that we don't have more time together,"

Suddenly Hermione was being pulled up by her hair, and she gave a small yelp as tears sprung into her eyes. She was yanked up the stairs, stumbling after the woman who had a tight hold on her hair.

A moment later Hermione was pulled into a room and thrown to the floor.

"Thank you Bellatrix, for bringing in our guest," a cold voice said.

"Anything for you, Master," she replied, bowing deeply.

"Leave us,"

Bellatrix looked up, as if she was expecting to stay and enjoy the show.

"Now," he snapped coldly.

With a note of protest in her throat, Bellatrix stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. A moment of silence ensued and Hermione pulled herself from the floor, staring at the occupied arm chair near the fireplace.

"I believe you and I have some business to attend to, I have yet to discover a way past that old man's restrictions. That leaves me with a small widow of time, and I don't intend to waste it,"

Before Hermione could process the words, she was suddenly shoved off her feet and went crashing to the floor. Without a moments rest, instantly pain was coursing through her body, causing her to scream without restraint.

The pain seemed to last forever, and Hermione was about to allow herself to slip into the darkness, but the pain ended, yanking her back into consciousness.

"Now, let us begin,"

Hermione's mind flitted back to her promise to Severus, and knew it would be a difficult task to complete.

As the time slipped by, Voldemort tortured her, invaded her mind, and tortured her some more. At some point, her nose had started to bleed, from what, she didn't know nor did she care. All she could feel was her screaming muscles and her pounding head. She didn't even know if she had slipped, she felt her mind spinning and twirling, unable to pull herself together.

She opened her eyes and found Voldemort staring at her on the ground, and suddenly his brow furrowed. He swung his wand through the air, and Hermione tensed for another attack, only it didn't come. Voldemort tried again, and nothing happened. He took a step forward, and stumbled backward.

"BRING ME SEVERUS! NOW!"

There was a flurry of movement and Hermione tried to keep her eyes from rolling back in her head. The break in torture allowed her to get a better grip on herself. Her eyes saw black boots, the same boots she had the pleasure of seeing beside the bed every morning.

"Why can't I touch her?" Voldemort snapped, circling her like he was about to attack.

"The three hours have ended, you cannot touch her," Severus replied sounding slightly strained.

Hermione sighed at the sound of his voice washing over her.

"Bellatrix, come here," Voldemort snapped.

She eagerly stepped forward rocking back and forth, anxious to serve her Lord.

"See if you can touch the Mudblood," he said, staring at Hermione's form.

Hermione watched as Bellatrix licked her lips, with a crazed look in her eyes before stepping forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest as Bellatrix's boot clicks echoed around the hall. Suddenly, she was shoved backwards with a shocked look on her face. She came forward again, and the same thing happened.

"Everyone get out, now," Voldemort snapped.

The room immediately emptied, leaving Hermione alone. She took this time to sit up and look around her. Voldemort repeatedly tried to curse her or attack her, but nothing worked, and he was clearly becoming angry.

"I will find a way to get by this," he growled at her before emitting a yell and exploding a hole in the wall.

"Get out! NOW!" he roared at her.

Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She jumped to her feet before hitting the ground again and scrambling to the door. Hermione barely made it down the stairs on her feet, mainly leaning on the wall and stumbling forward. Blindly she found the door knob and fell out into the cool night, the air feeling cooler to her body due to the thin layer of sweat covering her skin.

Before she could look around, Hermione bent over the railing on the stairs and emptied the contents of her stomach. As she took a deep breath, Hermione could feel him near her, and then could feel his hands.

"I'm fine," she rasped pushing him away slightly before grasping the railing again while forcing deep breaths into her body.

He still held her hand, regardless. It suddenly sounded like someone was throwing things around inside the house and Hermione stood to her full height.

"We should leave," Severus said in a hoarse voice.

Hermione nodded and began heading down the stairs before she was suddenly stopped by a hand on her arm.

"I can walk, I'm fine," she muttered before shakily walking down the stairs.

The gravel crunched beneath her feet as her eyes remained locked on the gate, focusing on making her feet move. With each step her legs screamed out in agony and she knew the man dressed in black beside her was watching her every move. Each breath she took made her body tense with pain, and she knew she wouldn't hold out much longer.

Once they were outside of the gate, Severus took her hand, and the pain that Hermione felt from being pulled through space was nearly unbearable. The moment their feet struck the soft ground of Hogwarts, Hermione sunk to her knees breathing raggedly.

"Just give me a second," she bit out through the pain.

"I think it's about time you learn to swallow your pride," Severus snapped as Hermione sat on the ground with her eyes closed.

"This coming from the man who-"

Her retort was closed off as she was abruptly lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms. Instinctively her arms wrapped around his neck as he began moving towards the castle. Hermione gasped in pain as his arm pressed into the small of her back where Bellatrix had hit her with something. Instantly he froze as she pulled herself tighter to his chest in an effort to remove the weight from her back.

"Lift your arm a little higher," she bit out.

He did as he was instructed and she relaxed against him. They began moving again and Hermione lifted her head to look at his face.

"Why don't you just Apparate in?" she asked him.

"It's too dangerous. The odds of the Carrows stalking around are too much to risk. The less they see of you, the more comfortable I'll feel leaving you by yourself,"

"I don't want you to carry me all the way into the castle," she complained.

"Shh," he said as they approached the doors.

He placed her feet on the ground, but she still clung to his body for support. Severus pulled out his wand and opened the doors that lead into the Entrance Hall. Hermione stepped in after him and the door closed with a thud behind her. The two stood for a moment, completely still, listening to any sound of movement. Severus deemed it safe enough for he took her hand and began to lead her to the stairs. Hermione tried her best to keep up with him, but once they began descending the stairs, she stopped, wincing with the pain that was emanating from her lower back.

"I-I can't," she said leaning against the wall.

Suddenly there were footsteps echoing above their heads, and both looked up, holding their breath. Hermione looked at him panicked when the footsteps began heading closer and closer to them.

"Come on," Severus muttered, handing her his wand, grabbing her arms and wrapping them around his neck before gently lifting her from the ground.

Without missing a beat he began slipping down the stairs, into the darkness, avoiding their pursuer. Hermione tightened her arms around his neck, breathing heavily against his skin. The moment he stumbled in the darkness, she lit his wand, causing him to become slightly startled.

"You're going to give us away," he grunted out, still striding down the hallway gracefully.

"You can't see,"

He didn't respond as they finally reached the portrait of the knight. Severus gently set Hermione down on her feet before pushing the door open and ushering her inside. The second the door closed behind him, Hermione sighed in relief and sunk onto the sofa.

"Don't get too comfortable," Severus said taking his wand from her and lighting the candles in the room.

Hermione could feel her muscles seizing slightly, and she was only too eager to take the glass of Firewhisky that Severus offered her.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said heading into the bathroom.

She followed him into the small room before he walked out and into his store room. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and recoiled slightly.

Her face, below her nose, was covered in blood, along with her hands which she used to wipe her nose at intervals during her torture. Her hair was tangled and matted and her clothes were dirty from the floor she had spent three hours on. Hermione turned her back to the mirror and lifted her shirt so she could see her back.

"Oh, God," she murmured, seeing the extensive bruise on her back which had taken on an ugly dark purple color.

Hermione instantly set to cleaning herself off, starting first with her hands. Severus returned a moment later, just as she was started to clean the blood off her face. The two were quiet as they each set to their own tasks. Hermione found her brush on the sink and began to brush her hair out as Severus placed numerous containers on the counter.

"Sweatshirt," he murmured as he began opening a small container that she was all too familiar with.

Hermione peeled her sweatshirt off, with a little help, and Severus took a look at her large bruise. She could tell he was restraining himself, there was a muscle working in his jaw. He cleared his throat and licked his lips.

"What happened?" he asked, without meeting her eyes.

"When…when the door closed, Bellatrix-"

His eyes snapped to her face, cutting her off. Pure anger was flashing in his eyes, causing her pulse to quicken. Hermione knew he wasn't going to let this go, he was beyond furious.

"Don't tell me she…" he began.

Her silence was enough for him. He slammed the container on the counter and stormed from the room.

"Severus," Hermione said following him.

She entered the room to see him viciously putting on his travelling coat while looking around for his wand. Hermione found his wand on the table and picked it up. His eyes immediately locked on the movement.

"Give me my wand,"

"No," she snapped back.

"Hermione, I'm not going to ask you again," he growled.

"You're being irrational,"

"Irrational? Irrational! How am I being irrational? That woman thinks that she can walk around doing whatever the hell she wants and not get caught?"

"If you go after her, what is that going to say about you? Twenty years is going to be ruined with one action. We can't risk it, not now,"

"What makes you think that she is going to stop? Bellatrix is the most brutal Death Eater there is, she has no conscious, no guilt. She would kill her own mother and not even care. Every time you go there, she is going to pull something like this, and then what? What if she kills you?" he barked.

"She won't. She values her…'Lord's' opinion too highly. She wouldn't do anything that he wouldn't approve of. She is aware that he needs me, and she won't do anything that would severely harm me,"

"Stop trying to rationalize this,"

"I'm not trying to rationalize it," Hermione said. "I'm trying to stop you from doing something that is going to kill us all,"

She knew what was bothering him. He was being forced into this position, being forced to be at the mercy of another person. Hermione sighed and placed his wand back on the table before approaching him. Severus was ridged and glaring at her as she stood in front of him.

"Please,"

Hermione reached up and undid his traveling cloak slowly, watching him closely to see what his reaction was. He allowed her to remove his cloak and fold it over her arm.

"Not tonight,"

Severus sighed, and Hermione noticed how his shoulders slumped slightly. Without speaking, Severus pulled the cloak from her and tossed it over the sofa before pulling her into the bathroom. His face was set as he resumed his work and Hermione continued to clean the blood off of her face.

"Tell me what happened," he said in a monotone voice as he lifted her shirt to reveal the small of her back.

"I was in there alone and he started…with…um…"

His eyes flashed to hers in the mirror as he reached for a glass on the sink.

"I'm nearly forty, I've just about seen it all, I'm sure your story will be one of the less severe," he said handing her a glass filled with a familiar liquid.

She took a generous sip and winced as the burning spread through her throat. Severus returned to his work, silently waiting for her to speak.

"He started using the Cruciatus Curse before trying to see my memories. I started by feeding him what we had been working on, and that worked, but then he really started digging, and he would use the Cruciatus Curse on me for longer periods of time,"

"This might hurt," he muttered as he began to apply the cream on her bruise like he did so many months ago.

She hissed slightly, grabbing onto the counter and grinding her teeth together.

"Continue," he prompted, still focusing on his work.

Hermione dropped her head down allowing her hair to shield her face.

"At one point, I couldn't even think about the memories, I was just trying to keep him out altogether. I used the image of the ocean and then attacked him before he could attack me,"

His fingers froze on her skin and Hermione knew he was looking at her in the mirror.

"What was his response?" he asked, still remaining frozen.

"He was impressed that I knew how to conjure a defense like that. For a while he tested my boundaries,"

"You didn't-"

"I didn't exert more energy than was needed to keep him at bay. I learned from the last time I did that," she muttered with a smile in her voice.

"Good," Severus muttered, pressing his fingers to her bruise again, causing her to shutter slightly.

She pulled away from him because the pain was too much.

"Tender," she gasped feeling her fingers beginning to ache.

"Here," he muttered, handing her the glass of Firewhisky.

Without thinking she downed the rest of the fluid and clumsily dropped the glass into the sink with a shaky hand. Hermione felt his fingers on her skin, but they weren't there to heal her, but rather to comfort her.

"We can stop," he said.

"No, just-hurry up and finish," she said bracing herself.

Hermione watched as he scooped more cream out and looked at her for a moment in the mirror. Severus gently began to apply the cream to her skin, and Hermione sighed at the feeling, even though she knew it wouldn't last long.

"I have to apply pressure now, so the cream can enter your skin," he murmured.

Hermione nodded and lowered her head to prepare herself for the pain. Almost instantly the pain exploded from the small of her back, consuming her body. Her breathing was harsh as the pain in her back grew to an almost unbearable amount. Finally, he pulled his hand away and Hermione lowered her head to the counter with a groan. Severus pulled her shirt down and gently touched her hair.

Hermione pulled herself up, feeling weak, and wouldn't meet his eyes. Severus pulled her face up, forcing her to look at him. His eyes flashed over her face, searching for something.

"Are you okay?" he finally murmured.

Hermione offered him a weak smile, and a single nod of her head.

"I'm just tired," she murmured touching the back of his hand which was still resting on her face.

He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

"Get ready for bed, I'll clean up,"

Hermione immediately changed and slipped beneath the sheets with a grateful sigh. The Firewhisky made her mind slightly fuzzy and relaxed the pain in her muscles. Hermione let her eyes slip closed and her mind wander. What seemed like hours later, there was a small thud beside her on the nightstand, but she didn't open her eyes to see what it was. Crookshanks had appeared beside her at some point, purring gently against her skin.

Hermione peeled her eyes opened and scanned the room. Apparently Severus was in the bathroom…but had placed a package on her nightstand. It was the same package he had shown her before they had gone.

Pulling her arms from beneath the covers, Hermione pulled the package into her lap and began to gingerly unwrap it. A black book fell into her lap and she pushed the wrappings off the side of the bed. Hermione picked up the book and began to scan through the pages.

The book consisted of what people thought about how curses affected the body, basically, the properties of curses. Hermione eagerly paged through the yellow pages, soaking up everything she could. Severus obviously knew what was going on, what she was always doing. No doubt he had come across her notes at some point.

On the inside cover, there were two words written in beautiful script:

_Happy Birthday_

Severus entered the room shortly after and climbed into bed.

"You'll have time tomorrow to read, I think you should sleep," he said pulling the covers over his body.

Hermione threw her arms around the man hugging him as tight as her sore muscles would allow.

"Thank you so much, it's wonderful," she said sincerely.

Severus wrapped his arms around her tenderly, pressing his face into her hair. Hermione pulled away and gently touched the cover.

"Will…will you read it to me?" she asked quietly, holding the book as if it were her most prized possession.

Severus was frozen for a moment before his slender fingers extended out to her. Hermione offered him a brilliant smile as she handed him the book and watched as he reached to the nightstand for his glasses.

As Severus situated himself, Hermione curled up in bed, facing him, ready to latch onto every word he had to say. As soon as Severus began to read, Hermione could feel herself slipping, his voice was soothing to her ears, and calming to her nerves.

Severus had hardly read a paragraph before her deep even breaths alerted him to the fact she had fallen asleep.


	26. A Few Minutes

**Hey everyone!**

**I just wanted to tell you how amazing you all are; your reviews are awesome, so keep them coming!**

**Thanks! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning when Hermione awoke, she stayed in bed, wrapped in her own thoughts and trying to keep her muscles as still as possible. She knew it was a Saturday morning due to the fact that Severus was still in bed, sound asleep.<p>

Crookshanks began climbing over her, repeatedly.

"What?" Hermione finally groaned to the ginger cat.

Pulling herself from bed, and groaning at the pain, Hermione went into the living room to feed the fuzz ball that seemed glued to her feet. Once Crookshanks was happily eating to his heart's content, Hermione curled up on the couch, and after a moment discovered that Severus left his cloak there. Without a single thought, Hermione pulled the fabric over her body, inhaling his scent with immediately allowed her to fall back asleep. Hermione drifted off without a thought of the pain in her body, but rather the spicy scent mixed with a small amount of smoke filling her head.

When Hermione awoke again, she could hear people bustling around above her, sounding extra cheerful being that it was the weekend. On the table in front of her, there was a small tray of breakfast, which she immediately dug into.

Severus was gone nearly all day, and Hermione spent most of hers trying to move as little as possible and sleeping through the pain. As things became quiet around the castle, Hermione checked the time, seeing that it was past eleven. Sighing deeply, she returned to bed and consumed a light sleeping potion.

When Severus returned, Hermione woke up again, listening to his whispers, but was confused that she wasn't hearing a response. After another few minutes, Hermione climbed from the bed and crept to the door, noticing the small amount of candle light spilling under the door. Quietly she peeled the door opened and peered out, noticing there was a single light on the desk Severus used to take care of business.

She immediately noticed Severus sitting at his desk, and saw Crookshanks on the desk, staring intently at the feather quill Severus was using to viciously scribble a reply to someone. The ginger cat attacked the feather, viciously batting it. Severus immediately pulled the feather away, glaring at the cat.

"This quill cost more than you did; I'm not going to tell you again: stop attacking it,"

Almost immediately the animal attacked the feather again, causing Severus to throw the object into the drawer and slam it shut. Crookshanks had settled himself on the paper Severus was writing on, and stared at the man, who was staring right back.

"What?" Severus muttered to the cat.

The ginger cat stood and hopped into his lap, rubbing against his chest affectionately. The small action caused the harsh exterior Severus kept up to crumble. Instantly Severus began to stroke the cat with a sigh.

"What am I going to do with her?" Severus muttered to the cat who was still turning circles on his lap.

"It's too dangerous, and I can't…I can't have a repeat of last night," he sighed as the cat sat down looking intent.

Hermione's heart broke as she looked at his face in the candlelight. He was desperately trying to keep himself hidden away from the world, and Hermione wanted to help him with everything that caused him trouble. No matter what Severus Snape had done over the last twenty years, he could no longer hold this burden alone. But she wouldn't intrude on this moment, no, she would watch from afar as the man dressed in black revealed his true nature, which had been buried beneath years of guilt and bitterness.

"I don't know what to do," Severus mumbled to the ginger cat, who stared at him with undivided attention.

"Keep your eye on her when I'm not here, okay?" he murmured, scratching the cat's chin.

The cat gave a small meow, and Severus smiled.

"Time for bed,"

Hermione instantly darted from the door and slipped beneath the covers and waited for Severus to get ready for bed. When he was finally settled in beside her, Hermione wanted nothing more than to hug him, but she knew he wouldn't want that. So, instead, Hermione turned her back to him, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The next morning, she awoke with a start as Severus climbed from the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a panic.

"For a walk," he muttered while running his hand through his hair and heading to the bathroom.

Hermione saw Crookshanks dart into the bathroom before Severus could fully make it there.

"Would you like to join me?" he asked, turning back to her as he turned on the light.

She smiled at him and nodded.

"Be ready in ten minutes," he said before walking into the bathroom.

Hermione jumped from the bed, her limbs feeling better than they were yesterday, and quickly dressed. When Severus left the bathroom, Hermione walked in to brush her teeth. When she was done she darted from the room with Crookshanks on her heels, just in time to find Severus pulling on his cloak. Hermione copied his movements and soon they were climbing through the portrait hole and climbing the stairs.

Severus pulled out a pocket watch and quickly checked the time.

"We only have a few minutes," he said, quickening his pace.

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"You'll see," he replied quietly with a smirk.

Hermione was quiet as they left the castle and began heading towards the Quidditch pitch. The morning was hazy and cool, causing a light frost to cover the grass. Hermione pulled her cloak tighter around her body as she looked into the brightening sky. Her eyes strayed to the man beside her, who wore a determined look on his face as if he was concentrating on something very difficult. They entered the arena and Severus looked up at the sky.

"We must hurry," he said, heading to a doorway that lead to the stands.

They ascended the stairs and Hermione was grateful that they had finally reached the top. Crookshanks ran through the bleachers as if he was looking for something, and Severus headed to the top most pew. Hermione followed him and took a seat beside him.

"What are we doing up here?" she asked quietly, afraid to disturb the peace that was consuming them.

"Just watch," he murmured, staring across to the skyline.

Hermione tore her eyes from his face, and focused them on the small orange spot on the horizon. After an uncertain amount of time, the sunlight broke the tree line, spilling over and immersing them in a deep orange glow.

"Oh," Hermione gasped sitting up as the light surrounded her.

The minutes ticked on and the two remained silent, soaking in the beauty of the moment. Eventually, Hermione turned to look at the man beside her. He had his back resting on the wall, with his eyes closed and lashes fanned out across his cheeks. His face was calm and peaceful, almost as if he were asleep, or time had erased all of the lines in his skin. His breathing was deep and his hand gently stroked the cat who had taken up a spot in his lap. Hermione had never seen anything so wonderful before in her life. There was no doubt about it, she was in love with him, and would forever be in love with him.

She took his arm and lifted it slightly before sliding herself against his side. He took the hint, and wrapped his arm around her body, holding her securely to his form. As time stretched on, Severus rested his cheek on her head, and Hermione felt more peaceful than she had in months.

"It's beautiful," she whispered after a long while, the first words either had spoken since they sat down.

"Mmm," he replied quietly.

"Do you come here often?" she asked, snuggling closer to him.

"Whenever I have a lot on my mind," he said, lifting his head.

"I wish that we could just stay here, in this moment, forever," she murmured.

"Not here," he said, causing Hermione to lift her head and look at him.

"Why not?" she pushed.

"To many memories in this field with people I'd rather forget,"

"But it shouldn't be bad memories,"

"I used to enjoy flying,"

"You fly?" Hermione asked slightly shocked.

"Yes, but its been years since the last time I've flown for enjoyment rather than being forced to," he murmured.

Hermione jumped up and began heading down the bleachers quickly.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Come on,"

He groaned and she turned to him.

"Please? I promise, it won't be bad,"

Hermione could see the reluctant way he stood, but that didn't stop her from dashing down the stairs faster than he was moving. When she got outside, she waved her wand once, and instantly a broom came whizzing towards her. By the time Severus emerged from the doorway, she already had the broom in hand and was smiling. His eyes locked on her before he shook his head.

"No, absolutely not," he said.

"Severus, you haven't flown for fun in _years_. What's the harm? You need this,"

"No," he said resolutely.

Hermione walked up to him and grabbed his hand before dragging him to the middle of the field.

"Take it," she said holding out the broom to him.

Hermione could see the longing in his eyes as they traced the profile of the broom. Extending her arm a little more, Severus sighed and snatched it from her hand. For a moment he simply held it, as if he was re-associating himself with a particular task. Finally he climbed onto it, and Hermione smiled. His eyes lifted to hers and suddenly he was holding his hand out to her, causing her to panic.

"I can't, I'm not really good with heights," she stuttered.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her, but she shook her head. In a flash he was suddenly gone, and Hermione turned around, thinking he was circling her. Several things happened before Hermione could register them. There was a whoosh behind her, followed by an arm wrapping around her waist from behind, yanking her backwards. Once her thoughts caught up with her, Hermione realized that she was seated sideways on the broom with two arms wrapped around her body; the hands grasping the broom handle tightly.

"Severus, no!" she instantly cried.

"Hold on," he said, breathing against her skin.

"To what?" she cried just as he took off from the ground, causing her to scream and lock her arms tightly around his waist.

The wind whipped around them, and Hermione instantly buried her face into the black material, wishing desperately that she could have solid ground beneath her feet once more. Ever since her first flying lesson, she vowed she would never willingly use a broom again. Now, she was soaring however high, praying to a higher power that she didn't die.

Eventually, the broom slowed and came to a stop.

"Are we back on the ground?" Hermione mumbled into his shirt.

"Open your eyes,"

Hermione shook her head and clung to him tighter than before.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione instantly said.

"Then open your eyes,"

His soothing voice caused Hermione to loosen her grip on his body and lift her head. Slowly, she slid her eyes opened. She looked out and saw that she was at eye level with the highest tower of Hogwarts, causing her to gasp and wrap her arms around him tighter than before.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he mumbled against her neck, causing her to shiver and grasp the clothing on his back tighter in her fingers.

The broom began to move again, and Hermione refused to release her tight hold on his form. The orange sunlight consumed them, and Hermione's eyes strayed up to his face, tracing his jaw line with her eyes before prying her fingers from his clothing and bringing them to his face. She allowed her fingers to trace his clean shaven jaw before drifting back to gently touch his cheek. Hermione noticed that his eyes seemed several times darker due to the light as they kept themselves locked on her face.

Hermione found herself leaning up and brushing her lips across his jaw, and then his cheek. She could feel his pulse beating beneath his skin. Just as Hermione went to press her lips against his, the broom jolted beneath them, causing her to gasp and bury her face in his neck.

"Sorry," he muttered as he began lowering the broom down to the ground.

Hermione kept her eyes lowered as the ground came closer, bringing with it the harsh truths of reality. When Severus landed, Hermione quickly moved away from him and stood awkwardly looking at anything but him.

"Thank you, for this," he finally said, looking at the broom.

Hermione offered him a shaky smile. Severus held out his hand for her to take, and she pulled her cloak tighter around her form.

"I think I'm going to stay out here a little longer, everyone's still asleep," she said.

Hermione caught the motion of Severus' head as his eyes looked away from her. He held out the broom to her, and she took it, hugging it to her form. After a moment passed, Severus turned his back to her and began heading towards the school. Without another thought, Hermione mounted the broom and shot straight into the sky, leaving her heart with the man dressed in black.

Why couldn't he see? He had to see how much she cared for him! Hermione allowed her eyes to slip closed as she remembered the feeling of his soft face on her lips. He smelled of aftershave, and the aroma lingered in her senses, tantalizing her, but always out of reach.

Hermione peered back at the ground, wishing he was still there, but wasn't surprised that there wasn't a spot of black in sight. She sighed deeply, looking at the sky, the orange now dimming slightly as the morning progressed.

What was she going to do?

A sudden pop sent her sailing off the broom handle and plummeting towards Earth. Hermione screamed as her stomach dropped and her hands aimlessly reached for the broom that was spiraling to the ground.

Her wand!

Desperately she dug for her wand, but the ground was coming too fast, and her hand was moving too slow. She was going to die, here, on the field where she watched her best friend catch his first snitch…

A moment later she was hovering a few feet in the air. A second later, she was dropped to the ground with a thud. Hermione groaned as sat up holding her stomach. When she raised her eyes, her heart jumped into her throat.

Standing in front of her, dressed in black menacing robes was Amycus Carrow.

Hermione instantly scurried away from him, but instantly she was thrown back to the ground face first.

"Now, now, let's not make this any harder than it has to be," his smooth voice whispered into the morning.

Hermione remained on the ground breathing heavily, feeling the fear pounding through her veins. Why did Severus have to leave? Why did she decide to stay out here? _Why_ was she so far away from the school?

Suddenly she was flipped over and was forced to look at his face.

If he wasn't a Death Eater, Hermione would think that he was handsome in a way, but years of cruelty had twisted his features, making his eyes cold and his lips constantly twisted in a frightening way.

"And who are you?" he purred, as his eyes raked her face.

Hermione couldn't find her voice, so all she did was gaze at him with a frightened stare. He didn't say anything as he grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.

"What is your name?" he snapped, pointing his wand at her. "And don't lie! I know I haven't seen you here before, I would have remembered a face like yours,"

Hermione's brain was frozen. She couldn't even think of a single logical lie she could make, or a single way she could get out of her current problem. As her brain jolted and stuttered, failing at concocting a single clever plan, he had apparently become inpatient.

The back of his hand collided with her cheek before she had even registered that he had raised it to her. Hermione's head snapped to the side as the taste of blood suddenly filled her mouth.

"You are to answer when asked a question!"

The first reaction she had was to spit, and he immediately knocked her to the ground.

"Despicable!" he snapped, towering over her. "We'll see what the Headmaster has to say to this,"

His hand was tangled in her hair in a flash and then he was dragging Hermione back to the school. Even though she was in pain, Hermione was glad that they were going to Severus. He would be able to get her out of this current predicament. She almost had to force the smile off of her face as the climbed the stairs to Severus' office. Amycus kicked the door in and forcefully shoved her inside, still holding tightly to her hair, causing her to whimper.

Immediately she found his eyes and he stood from the chair, nearly knocking the large piece of furniture over.

"I found her flying out on the Quidditch field, even though the field is off limits to students, and the game was banned,"

"Take your hands off of her," Severus gritted through his teeth.

Amycus made no move to release her.

"Not this time, Snape. This one is getting the rightful punishment," he snapped, tightening his hold on her hair.

"I will not hesitate to curse you right now if you do not take your hands off of my wife,"

"Wife?" Amycus stuttered. "The Mudblood?"

Without another word, he shoved her away from him as if she was suddenly infected. Hermione instantly moved away from him, putting as much distance as she could between the two. She risked a glance at his face and saw that he was sneering at her as if she was garbage.

"I'll deal with you later," Severus said in a deadly serious tone, staring straight at Amycus.

Hermione risked another glance up and saw that he was glaring at her.

"Get out, now," Severus growled through his teeth.

A swish of black robes filled the room as Amycus was suddenly gone from the room. Hermione instantly went to the bathroom to clean out her mouth. The first thing she noticed was the red print on her face. Before Severus could enter the room, she pulled out her wand and cast a quick spell to lessen the swelling and redness. As he walked into the room, Hermione began to wash her mouth out of blood.

"Let me see," he said once she spit in the sink.

Hermione turned to him and he instantly took her face into his hands.

"Healing spells shouldn't be done quickly," he said pulling out his own wand.

"It's fine, really. I've had worse," she said, smirking at him slightly.

"He doesn't have the right to touch you, no matter what the circumstances are,"

"I'm fine," Hermione reassured him again.

"No man has the right to touch a woman," he mumbled while dropping his hands from her face and leaving the room.


	27. I'm Sorry

**Hey everyone!**

**Hope you all are doing well!**

**My goal for this week is to reach 200 reviews. Think you can do it? Of course you can, you all are awesome!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>After that, thing calmed down considerably for Hermione, and Severus. The two spent most of their time in the dungeons, except when Severus would sit in Dumbledore's office during the day. Sometimes Hermione would convince him to let her go with him to spend the day, but he was wary of her leaving his chambers after Amycus attacked her.<p>

"He mentions you more than I would like," Severus mumbled one day as they made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Well…does he say anything threatening?" she asked as they climbed the stairs together.

"The fact that he mentions you is threatening enough in itself,"

Hermione read the book Severus had gotten her for her birthday straight through in one sitting, and finished it with a pile of her own notes. Of course she could never test her theories out because she needed a place to brew, but was too afraid to ask Severus to allow her access to his private lab and store room.

One day Hermione fell asleep calculating some measurements, and when she awoke, all of her notes and books were gone. In a panic she sat up on the sofa in Dumbledore's office, looking frantically around. She didn't have to look far.

Severus was sitting across from her in a chair with his glasses on, intently studying her notes.

"What are you doing?" she asked jumping up and scooping some loose pieces of parchment from the table.

"I've been curious about what you've been so keen on hiding from me," he replied, flipping over a piece of parchment to view another page of notes.

"These are private!" she snapped at him.

He raised his eyes from the parchment and looked at her over his glasses.

"This is a very advanced potion. You wouldn't have even attempted this in your 7th year. If you even attempted to make it, and a single thing went wrong, it could have disastrous effects,"

"It's just a theory," she said glaring at him.

"It's a very good one,"

Hermione was slightly taken aback and sat back on the sofa.

"Do you think so?"

"You've worked hard on this; that much is clear. Half of the stuff you've written down is beyond outrageous. The chemical reactions that could occur if you vary the measurements in the slightest is enough to blow a hole straight through the walls of this castle. But it all makes sense, regardless of how dangerous it is,"

"I'm afraid to even attempt to brew it. I've read stories and theories that other people have had and attempted to test. None of them ever ended on a positive note," Hermione mumbled.

"How is the potion to be administered?" he asked.

"It's supposed to be taken after the Curse. If it was administered before the Curse, then the attacker would know that something wasn't right. So after the Curse, it helps numb the pain and sooth the muscles,"

Hermione absently tightened her arms around herself as memories came rushing back to her.

"If you would like," Severus began as he set the paper down and sat back in his chair. "I could assist you in testing your theory. I do not believe even your knowledge is as extensive as it needs to be for such a feat,"

"You would do that?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I would," he replied in a serious tone.

Hermione nodded her head and smiled at him. That night, the two slipped silently into Severus' private lab. When Hermione walked in, she thought back to the last time she was in there. Malfoy had attacked her in the hallway, threatening her before a nice boy came to her aid. Severus had sat her down and helped heal her bruises. To this day she could still remember the feeling of his fingers on her skin.

Instantly the two set to work, gathering the ingredients and carefully setting them on the table. Hermione stood and looked at the daunting task ahead of them.

"Ready?" Severus asked.

Hermione nodded and shakily picked up her notes to begin studying them. The two worked in quiet words and slow movements. They crowded around the cauldron, their arms constantly brushing and hands nearly always touching.

Hermione grabbed five beans and was about to add them when his hand suddenly snatched her wrist just as she was about to release them.

"Wait," he said, staring at the liquid.

"They need to be added now," she said, tightening her fingers around the beans.

"If we add them now, we're going to be blown straight to hell. Allow the color to dull for a few more moments,"

"Severus, it isn't going to work if we wait," Hermione protested.

Severus sighed and yanked her hand away before taking a bean from her palm. He carelessly tossed the bean on the table before taking a single drop of potion and placing it on the bean. The bean exploded, causing Hermione to jump backward with a gasp. Severus remained silent as he watched the potion dull the appropriate amount. Once he was satisfied, he dropped the five beans into the cauldron, causing the potion to turn bright red.

"We must be careful, this is a very unstable potion," he murmured.

"I don't understand," Hermione said, staring at the burn mark on the tabletop.

"Typically when a potion turns a form of red-"

"No, not that, I was wondering about the bean," she replied.

Severus quickly explained the composition of the bean and how such material reacted to the other materials that we already present in the mixture.

"The beans need about two weeks of brewing before they are completely dissolved," Severus mentioned as Hermione viciously scribbled on her notes.

"We're just going to let it sit down here for two weeks?"

"Do we have much of a choice," Severus replied as he cleaned the work station with a flick of his wand.

September came to a close, and Hermione anxiously awaited Severus to arrive at night so they could go a view the progress of the potion.

"It's not going to change overnight," Severus grumbled as Hermione peered into the potion.

"You never know," she replied, smiling at the red liquid.

A few nights later, Hermione was awoken at three in the morning because Severus was moving around the room.

"What happened?" was her first response.

"Nothing, go back to sleep," he murmured before going into the bathroom.

After a few moments he reentered the room and began digging through his wardrobe. Hermione knew by the rustle of cloth that he was pulling on his travelling cloak.

"Where are you going?" she asked slightly panicked.

He sighed deeply in the darkness, but didn't answer her.

"Severus," she pushed, sitting up now.

"I have some things to take care of. Do not leave this room for anything,"

Hermione knew by the sudden wind that filled the room that he had Apparated. Sleep evaded her for hours, and when she finally did drift, her dreams were filled with nightmares.

The next morning, Hermione awoke alone. She knew that he had not come back in the middle of the night. The day past, and evening arrived and he still did not come back. Panic gripped her tightly as different scenarios, each growing worse and worse ran through her mind. She forced herself to sleep that night with a Sleeping Draught. The covers on his side remained untouched in the course of the night.

Another day rolled around and still nothing from him. Hermione's panic quickly turned into a boiling rage, threatening to present itself at any moment. How could he just leave her alone for two days!

That night, Hermione was jolted from her sleep, suddenly feeling her heart beating wildly in her chest. Sitting up, her eyes swept across the room, freezing once they reached the corner of the room.

Amycus Carrow was sitting in the chair, simply staring at her with dark eyes. When she looked at him, his lips spread into a grin, causing her skin to crawl. Before she had a chance to open her mouth, he had disappeared. Immediately she moved to the living room, curling up on the couch, forcing herself to stay awake.

By day three, Hermione was sitting on the couch, watching the clock, forcing her rage down. How could he just leave her here, without a word, for three days? Even though she loved him more and more each day, she couldn't prevent the images of throwing something large and heavy at the back of his head from her mind.

That night, she slept on his side of the bed because it was closer to the door. Usually, he disliked the idea, in case someone managed to get through the wards. Hermione was so furious at him that she didn't care if someone broke in during the night. Once again, she had to take a Sleeping Draught.

That night, she awoke to the bed sinking down behind her. Instantly she tensed, waiting for the attack.

"Hermione,"

She trembled at the sound of his voice, after three days, it was the best sound she had ever heard. Then suddenly, she felt her rage bubble to the surface.

"Come on, I don't like you sleeping that close to the door,"

"I don't care," she snapped, yanking the covers up to her chin and putting her back to her.

He sighed deeply, and she thought he had settled down for the night. As she was mentally celebrating her victory, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her backward. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled across his body and dumped on her side of the bed. Her mouth fell open at the action. How dare he! She climbed to her knees just as he closed his eyes.

"You-idiot!" she screeched, pounding on his chest.

His eyes flew open as he immediately went to grab her wrists.

"Wha-"

"No!" she snapped pointing at him. "You don't get to talk! And don't touch me!"

Hermione snatched her hands away from his, and immediately stumbled from the bed, the covers tangled around her body. She heard him spring from the bed as she stormed into the living room, not knowing what she was going to do.

"Wha-"

"No!" she snapped again, turning on him. "Three days? You couldn't tell me where you were or what you were doing for _three days?_"

"Like you tell me what you're doing with bloody Wonder Boy," he snapped.

"Don't you dare turn this around on me! I had to sit around for three days wondering where you were, what you were doing, if you were even alive anymore! I don't care if you didn't tell me where you were or what you were doing, a simple 'I'm alright,' would have been efficient! Instead I got stuck with your Death Eater friend leering at me in the middle of the night! What was I supposed to do about that? I couldn't tell you because you weren't here!"

"Amycus?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, I woke up and he was watching me sleep, can you even imagine how petrifying that is? And all he did was smile that-that horrible grin at me. I've barely slept since! God," she muttered, turning her back on him trying to regain her composure.

"He couldn't have been in-"

"I'm not crazy and I wasn't imagining it! He was in there!"

"He wouldn't have done anything; he knows the Dark Lord needs you,"

"Remember?" she snapped, whirling on him. "I'm the Mudblood, the rules don't apply to me. I'm fair game for them,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Well I-"

She froze. He had just given her a sincere apology, looking her straight in the eye, keeping his voice low. Hermione suddenly felt horrible about herself. She lowered her eyes.

"I-I didn't mean to yell, it's just…I've been worried,"

The room fell silent as the two awkwardly avoided the others gaze. Finally Hermione snatched a book off the table and dropped into the chair he usually occupied near the fire.

"You're not going to bed?" he asked from behind her.

"No, I think-I just want to read," she mumbled, flipping through to an interesting section.

"You use reading as an avoidance tactic," he said, sinking on to the sofa and stretching out across it.

"So?"

"What are you avoiding?"

Her gaze lifted to the flames which were slowly dying. What was she avoiding? Her thoughts? Most certainly. Her feelings? Of course, she tried to avoid those every waking moment of her life. Her mind was racing and she couldn't stop her thoughts.

"He called me,"

Hermione turned her head slightly so she could gaze at his lithe figure on the sofa. His eyes were gazing upward towards the ceiling, indicating that he was far from the present.

"What did he want?" Hermione asked, forgetting the book on her lap.

"To talk about you, among other things," Severus replied as Crookshanks approached the sofa and jumped onto his chest.

"What did he say?"

"He told me what he had seen when he was attempting to break into your mind. You didn't slip up, not once,"

Hermione couldn't help the small smile that found its way onto her face. It was the only thing she could do to prevent herself from crying due to sheer relief.

"When did you two become friends?" she asked, seeing her cat curled up on the chest of the man she loved.

Hermione watched as he smiled and scratched the ginger cat behind the ear.

"We came to an understanding," he muttered.

Her mind flashed back to the night she had watched him talking to her cat like he was a real person. His eyes suddenly drifted to hers causing her smile to fade.

"Amycus was in here," he said.

"Yes, last night I woke up and I saw him in the corner of the bedroom, just watching me,"

"This is getting ridiculous," Severus growled.

"I'm afraid of what he's going to do," Hermione murmured, turning her eyes away from him.

"I'll take care of it,"

And for the first time, Hermione didn't question him on his plans for Amycus.


	28. Guilt

**Hey!**

**Thank you all so much for all of the reviews! I was telling my roommate how just before midnight, nine of you reviewed, officially bringing the total to 201! Thank you! I just kept saying "I love them, they're just awesome. I really love them all," haha :P **

**Sabrina1209: I post every Tuesday :)**

**Let's try and make it 220! I know you all can do it!**

* * *

><p>October entered with brisk weather and coloring leaves. Hermione only ever left the castle in the early morning, always with Severus, and only for about a half hour, if that. Severus had become even more protective over her since he discovered Amycus was in their bedroom, when he was not there. Also, when Severus went to speak to the man, there was nearly a fight in the middle of the Great Hall. Severus had told her that he had made some threats against her, but wouldn't tell her what they were. Hermione was grateful for that.<p>

Now, throughout the days, Severus periodically checked up on her or often handed her off to Minerva. Hermione preferred to spend the days with him, hiding out in Dumbledore's office.

A week into the month, she was summoned once again by the Dark Lord. Hermione was still slightly reluctant, and Severus paced more than ever leading up to the date. Once again, Severus was not to enter the house with Hermione, and Bellatrix had her moment of fun when they were alone, leaving Hermione's lip split and swollen with a gash in her cheek.

Hermione could tell that Voldemort was not happy with what he was getting, and he told Severus that night that he was not happy, and when he called her at the start of the New Year, she better have something worth seeing, or he would kill her.

After this point, Hermione noticed that Severus began letting himself go. He stopped shaving, stopped reading books, and would often stare off into space.

"Severus?" Hermione called to him one evening when she found him at two in the morning staring into the fire.

"Severus?" she called again.

Finally he blinked and turned his lifeless eyes on her.

"Aren't you coming to bed," she asked, wrapping her robe tighter around her body.

"No. I can't sleep," he muttered, turning his gaze back to the flames.

Hermione approached him and stood directly in his line of sight. Slowly, his eyes drifted to her face, and she noticed how horrible he looked.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Nothing. Everything is fine,"

"No it's not, Severus. Something is bothering you, it's clear as day, its been this way for a few weeks. I wish you would just talk to me,"

"There's nothing to talk about," he snapped, turning his eyes away from her.

The two had little to no conversation afterwards. Hermione even took to sneaking out of the room at night because she couldn't stand to see him slowly wasting away before her eyes. She would often sit in the Great Hall and study the Halloween decorations and how every night, more and more were added in preparation to the Halloween Feast…which she would not be a part of.

Jack-o-Lanterns dotted the hallways, blinking at those who passed by, sometimes following them for a short distance before returning to their post. Bats swooped around the ceilings while an excess of spider webs appeared throughout the school. Crookshanks would often accompany her on such adventures, sticking close to her and complaining that she was out of bed.

"Well if you're so bothered by it, go back to the room," she would hiss at ginger cat.

By the time Halloween came, Severus was but a shell of a man, and Hermione tried her hardest to end up in Minerva's office. After the Halloween feast, Dobby took Hermione to Minerva's office, where she helped her grade papers. Hermione listened to the old woman chatter on about the news and other things that Hermione hadn't the privilege to know about, seeing as she was confined to Severus' chambers and he disliked talking of such things.

Eventually, Minerva dozed off, and Hermione threw her quill onto the desk with a sigh. Without a second glance Hermione made her way back to the dungeons, keeping her eyes peeled for any trouble. Quietly she entered the room and saw that there was a candle lit in the bedroom. She found herself afraid of what she was going to find beyond the door, but she forced herself to look anyway.

Hermione pushed the door opened and found Severus' limp figure, face down and sprawled out across the bed. Instantly she noticed the empty bottle of Firewhiskey clutched in his hand while the gold sealant was on the bedside table. He'd drunk himself straight into unconsciousness, and all in one sitting. That's why he didn't want her there.

She approached the bed and pulled the empty bottle from his fingers and placed it on the bedside table. Hermione's eyes strayed to his other hand, seeing some kind of paper clutched in his fingers. She sat on the bed and leaned over him to pull the paper out. He groaned, but didn't wake up.

Her eyes strayed to his face, waiting for him to open his eyes, and when he didn't, she spread the paper out on her thigh, hunching over it to see the lettering. It was a newspaper article, very old given the yellowish color and the fact that it looked as if it had been through the laundry. Hermione instantly recognized the man's face, because it looked like it belonged to her best friend and there was a beautiful woman wrapped around his waist.

"_On the very evening that You-Know-Who's power was put to a stop, the wizarding world lost two very talented people. James and Lily Potter, parents to the now famous Harry Potter, were killed in their home moments before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's rein ended. Their funerals will take place tomorrow evening and are opened to the public. The whereabouts of Harry Potter are not known, but Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry assures all magical folks that the young boy is in good hands. All of us will forever owe ourselves to the two brave souls who sacrificed their lives for their son, and this small boy who helped vanquish our world from the greatest threat we have ever known,"_

"Oh God," Hermione murmured.

"My fault,"

Hermione jumped as the sound of his hoarse voice and slightly slurred speech. She turned to find his dark eyes on her, his cheek pressed to the bed.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Hermione said, tossing the article to the floor.

"I killed her," he mumbled quietly, gazing off into the distance with his bloodshot eyes.

"No you didn't, Severus,"

Hermione stretched out beside him, slightly propped up on the pillows as her eyes remained locked on his form.

"Yes, yes, I did. I told him, I told him everything. If I wasn't so envious of Potter…Potter always got everything he wanted…always,"

Her hand reached out and stroked his hair gently, causing him to sigh.

"I should be dead right now, I don't have the right to be breathing," he muttered, sounding so heartbroken that Hermione had to choke back her own tears.

"No, if anyone deserves to live, it's you. You've sacrificed so much to this cause; you deserve a second chance,"

His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her to him. Without a word Severus buried his face in her neck and sighed deeply.

"I killed her, the one person I cared about in this world and I killed her…just like I'm going to kill you,"

Hermione pressed her lips against his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair.

"We're both going to be fine at the end of this; I trust that you're going to make sure we get through this war. I trust you with everything,"

"I'm going to get you killed," he murmured again causing his unshaven face to slightly scrape across her skin.

"Just go to sleep, you've had a difficult day,"

"I can't let her go, I can't,"

Hermione felt her confidence deflate in an instant. Her husband, the man she loved, was still caught up with a woman who had been dead for nearly twenty years.

"It's alright," she muttered in a shaky voice, trying to repress her feelings.

He gave a single laugh and lifted his head to look at her with droopy eyes.

"Only you would tell your husband it was alright to be in love with a dead woman,"

Hermione looked at him for a moment before looking away.

"You love her," she said simply.

"I don't know," he replied with a furrow brow.

"Severus, it's alright if you do, I understand,"

"I don't think that I do anymore,"

"They why are you doing this?" she asked.

His eyes refocused on her, suddenly filled with sadness again.

"Guilt,"

That was the last thing either said that night. Hermione spent most of her night stroking his hair and watching him sleep soundly against her.

The next morning, Hermione awoke alone. Instantly she flung herself out of bed and darted to the living room, but she didn't have to look far. Severus was kneeling before the fireplace, gently stoking the flames. He turned around and looked at her for a moment, and without a single word, turned back to his task. For a man who drank an entire bottle of Firewhiskey, he looked surprisingly decent.

"I apologize for my behavior last night, it was inappropriate," he muttered with his back to her.

"But perfectly understandable," Hermione replied easily while sinking onto the sofa.

"Do you always have to do that?" he snapped viciously turning on her.

"What?"

"Forgive everyone?"

"Why not? You have to forgive people for the things they did to you, it's human nature,"

"No, people don't forgive as much as you do. You never hold anything against anyone!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes, it is! You're too naïve!" he growled.

Hermione didn't really care what he was saying; she knew he was just angry, more at himself than anything.

"Perhaps, but I don't want to go through my whole life holding grudges against people,"

"Well you should, they make you remember why you should never trust people,"

Hermione raised her eyes to his figure, silhouetted with the firelight.

"Do you trust me?" she asked calmly.

He glared at her for a while before turning back to the fire. He didn't trust her? Had she ever given him any reason not to? Hermione's thoughts whirled as she tried to find a moment they had shared in which she may have offended him. His deep sigh drew her from her thoughts.

"Sometimes," he said quietly.

"Sometimes?"

"Well I certainly am not going to trust you completely, that would be irrational,"

"What would be so irrational about trusting someone?"

"Does anything make you think it is rational to trust, unconditionally, the mind of an eighteen year old girl?"

"I'm not an idiot," Hermione said, using a slightly harsher tone.

"I never made a comment against your intelligence. You have no experience with life; technically, you aren't even out of school yet. I will not trust an eighteen year old girl,"

"I trust you," Hermione offered meekly.

"As you logically should, I am old and have much more experience than you do when it comes to these things,"

"I don't trust you because you're old," she snapped standing up. "Besides, you're not even that old,"

"I'm probably as old as your father, am I not?" he asked, peering at her over his shoulder.

"Age doesn't matter,"

Hermione suddenly knew that she wasn't talking about trust anymore. She trusted him with her life; she loved him to her very core, with every fiber of her being. She would gladly follow him blindly into battle because she knew he would never allow harm to befall her.

"I beg to differ," he replied solemnly.

"For someone who claims to be all knowing about life, you still have a lot to learn,"

Hermione left the room then, curling back up under the warm sheets of their bed, allowing herself a few short moments to cry.


	29. Attention

**Hey everyone!**

**I've been crazy busy today, but it's 11:48, so it's still Tuesday!**

**Keep the reviews coming!**

**:)**

* * *

><p>The two did not speak for the rest of the day. Hermione snuck down to Severus' private lab to continue with their potion, alone. She knew the time had come to move forward with the brew, the beans were officially gone and mixed in.<p>

The cold room, despite the constant brewing, made Hermione shiver. She lit a single candle and spread her notes out in front of her, quickly reading through the directions. Taking a deep breath, Hermione began preparations for the next step of the brew. She worked in focused silence, mixing some ingredients in a separate bowl.

"I don't know," she growled peering at her directions, and back to the mush she had in the small bowl.

Taking a small vial full of clear liquid, she slowly tipped the glass, willing a single drop out. She watched as the drop fell into the bowl. The moment the two substances touched, there began a reaction. Quickly Hermione put away the vial and tossed her notes to a shelf on the other side of the room.

Panic washed over her. This shouldn't be happening! It was only supposed to liquefy the material! Not make it bubble! The mixture suddenly popped, causing Hermione to shriek. Without a second pause, the mixture bubbled over, and all over the table. She could instantly see the black, charred table due to the mixture touching it.

"Oh no!" she cried, watching the mixture make its way towards the cauldron.

"No, no, no!"

Instinctively Hermione reached out to push the liquid away from the cauldron.

"Ow!" she cried as she was burned, but the burning didn't stop.

Hermione ran to the sink and began washing her hands viciously in the sink as tears brimmed due to the pain. Once she was done, she wiped her hands on her pants, but the burning was still somewhat present. Snatching up her wand, she pushed the liquid away from the cauldron, breathing heavily.

Once she calmed down, she vanished the mess with a single spell, sighing as the green liquid vanished from sight. It was then that she realized her hands were still slightly burning and there were small hole being burned in her jeans from where she had wiped them. Instantly she set to cleaning her hands in the sink again, but the burning did not go away, nor did her pants stop disintegrating. Hermione turned as saw that the table was slowly being eaten away.

"I don't know what to do," she moaned, holding her hands away from her body.

She looked at her ring, seeing that the metal was still intact and glimmering magnificently. She had to do it. This situation wasn't exactly life threatening…well, she didn't think so, but she needed his help desperately at this moment. Taking a deep breath, she turned the ring twice on her finger, silently praying that he wouldn't be angry with her.

A moment later, a gust of wind signaled his presence, and Hermione wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeves. Severus was instantly searching the room, wand in hand, and panic written clear on his face.

"What's going on? Are you hurt?" he asked after figuring there wasn't any immediate danger.

"I-I just had an accident…I can't stop my hands from burning," she said, looking down at her shaking, now red and blistered hands.

He quickly appeared before her and took her hands in his.

"What did you touch?" he asked, keeping his head bent over her hands, calmly but efficiently scouring the skin.

Hermione quickly explained what had happened, and his dark, burning eyes suddenly snapped to hers.

"What on _Earth_ would possess you to _touch_ that?" he growled.

"I don't know! It was my first reaction!"

"You're a witch, and your first reaction is to _touch_ a mixture you are unfamiliar with?"

"I'm Muggleborn, magic is not second nature to me,"

Severus shook his head and ran his wand across her palms, causing her immediate relief.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much, thank you,"

"Anything else?"

"I wiped my hands on my pants," she replied, looking at the now slightly noticeable holes in her jeans.

He sighed and lowered himself to one knee to study her legs. Hermione looked anywhere but him due to the slight blush that was on her cheeks. Once he was done, he moved to the sink which was slightly melting due to the potion and cleared it up.

"I'm assuming the table is the worst?" he asked turning to look at the surface.

"Yes," she replied still looking at her raw hands.

Hermione watched him rid the table of the malevolent potion before looking at her wand and ring.

"Why aren't these reacting to the potion?" she asked.

"They're magical objects, the ring more so than the wand,"

Hermione studied the two for another moment before pulling her notes back out and rereading the directions. Severus appeared beside her, also reading the notes.

"What were you trying to do,"

"There's a part that needs to be mixed separate, and I did that, it's just…it didn't work,"

The two spent several more hours together, speaking civilly with one another, slowly but surely putting their argument behind them and moving on with their lives.

Severus awoke early the next morning, knowing that he'd have to spend the day in Dumbledore's office once again. Turning his head slightly, he gazed at Hermione's face as he did every morning, thinking how lucky he was and how insane she must be.

Her hands had been heavily bandaged before they had gone to bed due to the severe amount of blistering that was occurring. Severus could have healed her hand with magic, but the likelihood of infection was too dangerous to risk. Her body would have to do the brunt of the healing for now, until he deemed it safe to heal the rest of the way.

Once the musing of her insanity for staying with him, Severus moved on to the guilt part of his morning thought process.

For as long as he lived, he would never forget the sounds of her screams the first time she was called to the Dark Lord. He sat outside Malfoy Manor, with his head in his hands, digging his nails into his own scalp each time he heard her screaming. Hundreds of times Severus thought of bursting into the house and taking her away forever. He had twenty years serving as a double spy; he could easily make them disappear.

But the brave Gryffindor came from the hell hole on her own two feet, making his chest swell with pride.

As his eyes ghosted over her face, Severus immediately thought of the day she had handed him a broom and they soared far about the field. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the burning on his skin from her touch, and the softness of her lips. They had been so close to his, nearly touching, until the broom shuttered beneath them from the altitude.

That day's memory was marred with Amycus Carrow physically assaulting her. Severus nearly killed him when they had met up afterwards, but he wouldn't dare say that to Hermione. The man often asked about her, with a sly grin on his face, showing his yellow teeth. The sight made his skin crawl and his mind dart back to the woman he knew was sound asleep in his bed.

When Hermione had told him that she was watched during her sleep by that monster, Severus all but nearly killed him. He was certain that man wouldn't allow the thought of her to pass through his mind in fear that Severus would find out.

The Dark Lord posed a larger problem for the two. He had blatantly told Severus the girl would be killed if she did not present new information the next time (after the New Year) she was summoned. Severus avoided her for some time after that. How could he tell her that she was going to be killed? Severus told her anyway; perhaps her brilliant mind would concoct a plan to save them both.

He physically cringed as he thought of the events of Halloween night. Severus allowed her to see him in the worst part of each year. Every Halloween he drowned out his guilt with severe intoxication. What made him hate himself all the more was the fact that she was so gentle, understanding, and forgiving. He wanted her to hate him. Anything! Hate him for loving a dead woman, passing out drunk; hate him for causing the death of two innocent people, causing the misery of her best friend. But he did not get anything but comfort from her.

Even when they were arguing, he tried to get something out of her, anything, but all she said was that she trusted him. It enraged him further. She thought that she was being sneaky when she left the room, but he heard the whole thing, not to mention Crookshanks darted from the bedroom and straight to the door.

Severus was too proud to follow her and demand she speak to him, though her silence was nearly killing him. He was just drifting off to sleep when his ring began to burn on his finger. Without a second thought, he grabbed his wand and Apparated…to his private lab. Upon finding that she was relatively safe, his anger vanished.

Hermione had said that she tried to use her _hands_ to stop the potion. The thought brought a slight smirk to his face. Of all things…she uses her own body. The hours of trial and error afterwards patched up their relationship and lessened the tension between them.

Severus peered at the clock on his nightstand, knowing he was going to be late for breakfast, but not finding it in himself to care. His eyes drifted once again to her peaceful face, knowing he didn't trust himself another moment alone with her. Forcing himself up, he was calmly seated in Dumbledore's office fifteen minutes later.

"Hello, my dear boy, how are you on this fine morning?" Dumbledore's portrait asked.

"How do you think I am, Albus?" Severus hissed back.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Severus remained silent with his eyes closed and head resting on the back of the chair.

"Ah, still thinking about Miss Granger? Forgive me, Mrs. Snape?"

Once again Severus did not reply, but thought of the name 'Granger', realizing how long it had been since he last heard it.

"The solution is very simple, Severus,"

"Simple?" Severus finally spoke, standing and facing the picture. "What is so simple about this?"

"You must let her go. She no doubt has a way to contact Harry, she will not be lost. If Voldemort is to keep her alive, she must be able to gain new information for him,"

"Absolutely not! I will not allow her to wander around, out there, with Wonder Boy and his sidekick! It is far too dangerous!"

"You're worried about her," Albus said with a small smile.

"How would you feel if in my position?" Severus snapped back.

"You cannot keep her hidden from the world forever, Severus,"

Oh, but he certainly could try.

"There is another thing," Albus continued.

"What is it?" Severus asked, facing the portrait once again.

"The time is drawing near for the sword,"

"Why does Potter need the sword?"

"That, I cannot tell you,"

"Of course not," Severus muttered as he sank into the chair.

"I have to say Severus; your wife is a much better conversationalist than you are,"

"I would have never guessed," Severus replied sarcastically.

"She talks very highly of you, even when talking about your negative attributes. She cares very much for you, more than she lets on I dare say, but it is written clear as day on her face. I've never seen someone so purely happy as she is,"

"I'll do what you want Albus. You don't have to try and warm me up to the task with your flattery,"

"I'm doing no such thing, Severus. I'm simply telling you not to ignore what you have right in front of your face. I believe Lily has been honored well enough throughout the years, don't you? It is time to close one door and step through another,"

"I'll honor who I damn well please!"

"Hermione is practically begging for your attention, Severus! Are you going to let something so wonderful and pure slip through your fingers! It is time that you see what Hermione is offering you! You have a chance to be happy, Severus, after all of these years, you can be happy with someone who will be equally, if not more happy with you! Do not let your past consume your future. You will be hurting more than yourself if you do,"

"And what if I die, Albus? Did you think what that would do to her? What am I to do? Lead her on and then be killed? How is that any better than what I'm doing now? It'll only make things worse for her in the long run,"

"Would you rather her have something of you to remember you by or remember you like this?"

"I can assure you; I will be gone quicker from her memory than if I was never there at all,"

"You are gravely mistaken, Severus, and it is a sad thing to see. If you could but see her when she speaks of you, you would not think so,"

The two fell silent as Severus viciously scribbled on his paper work. Around noon, Severus was interrupted from his work by a knock on his door.


	30. Decorating

**Hey...this is late. You have permission to be angry, I've just been so busy!**

**Keep reviewing please! They make me happy!**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"Enter," he drawled.<p>

Minerva entered the room, not looking at Severus, but rather studying the room for others who may be present.

"Can I help you, Minerva?" he asked.

The old woman pulled out her wand and waved it at the empty air, causing Severus to almost snap at her until he realized there were now two people standing near his door.

"Hermione asked to come, I thought it was alright being that classes are currently in session and I was there to escort her," Minerva said before shutting the door.

Severus had all but forgotten the work he was just doing as Hermione happily walked over and took a seat in front of his desk with a grin on her face.

"Hello," she said with a happy sigh.

"Do you realize what-"

"Oh, I'm fine, how are you doing?" she asked, cutting him off with a pointed look.

He sighed and resumed writing.

"Good afternoon, I am pleased to hear that you are fine. I, on the other hand, am tired and too old to be doing paper work like this," he muttered.

"It doesn't look so bad," she muttered walking around his desk and peering over his shoulder.

Severus could hardly think straight, smelling the vanilla aroma that usually clung to her person. Dumbledore's words began to echo in his head, and he cleared his throat.

"I never said it was difficult, just tedious,"

"Here, I'll do it," Hermione said reaching over and taking the stack of parchment from him, with her still bandaged hands.

"You are incapable of writing,"

"I'll manage. You can rest now," she said resuming her seat and taking up his quill.

"And what of my signature?"

"When I'm done you can go through and sign things that need to be signed," she replied without looking up at him.

Seeing no way out of it, Severus moved to the living area and stretched out across the sofa, sighing deeply. Within moments, his mind was fuzzy, eventually slipping into darkness. His dreams mocked him, showing him Hermione just out of reach, with Dumbledore's words repeating like a broken record. He couldn't reach her, but followed her into a house; the floor was covered in dust. It was there that he saw her limp figure on the ground, wide yet glassy eyes, with a single tear leaking from the corner. Black smoke suddenly wrapped around her, and she vanished.

Severus awoke with a start and instantly sat up, peering around. His eyes locked on Hermione's form, now sitting at his desk, furiously scribbling away while chewing on her lip with a crease in her brow. Severus wished he could keep that moment forever in his mind, replaying it over and over. She looked stunning with the sun spilling over her, catching her wild hair and eyelashes.

Hermione's eyes suddenly flashed to his, and she offered him a breathtaking smile, one she rarely gave others.

"I'm just about done," she said happily before returning to her work.

Severus stood from the sofa and stretched his muscles. Slowly, he made his way to the desk and sat down opposite of her.

"You work quickly," he mentioned, seeing the numerous sheets that were filled out.

"I suppose. You have been asleep for quite a while,"

Severus checked his watch as saw that he had slept for nearly three hours.

"Did anyone knock?" he asked slightly worried.

"No, no one,"

Severus nodded and pulled forward the finished stack of papers before he began to scribble his signature along the bottom. The two worked in silence until the last of the signatures were scrawled along each page.

A sudden rumble beneath them signaled dinner time in the Great Hall. Severus sat back in his chair and stretched while Hermione flexed her fingers as much as she could with her bandages. She lifted her eyes as he was studying her, and gave him a gentle, yet tired smile.

"Maybe you should help with paper work more often,"

"If you didn't let it build up, you wouldn't have to spend so long on it," she replied playfully while straightening out the pile.

Suddenly her smile slipped from her face as her fingers pulled out a single sheet of paper from under a book. Severus watched her, confused for a moment.

"Neville, Luna, and Ginny were caught in here?" she asked quietly as her eyes darted across the report.

Severus was instantly tense and on guard.

"Yes, they were,"

"What…what happened to them?" she asked, raising her eyes to his.

"I told them not to do such a thing again, and assigned them lines,"

Severus felt uncomfortable with her intense gaze and stood to send the papers with the owl he had called earlier.

"That's all that happened?"

"Yes, as long as they kept their adventure a secret, nothing else would happen,"

"But what about _his_ expectations of punishment?" she pushed.

"What he doesn't know certainly can't hurt him, can it?" he said with his back still turned to her.

Severus heard the large chair scrape across the floor and turned just in time to have her arms wrap around his body.

"Thank you for not hurting them,"

"Just because I am ordered to do something, doesn't mean that I have to do it. Plus, I knew you were acquainted with them,"

Severus found that his arms were wrapped around her form, but couldn't remember doing so. Immediately his eyes drifted to the portrait above them and was met with twinkling eyes and a rather large grin. Severus pulled away from her and straightened out his robes.

"Come, we'll have dinner,"

Severus cast a quick spell over her and the two quickly walked back to his chambers, beneath the chaos of the school.

November passed quickly, with no large incident for either of the two. Severus had come back on numerous occasions from his meetings covered in cuts and bruises. Hermione often tended to him, and he lied to her about why he had received them. He told her that they were just the standard rituals, but really, he was begging the Dark Lord to allow Hermione to go back to Potter in order to retrieve more useful information. Finally, he had agreed, no longer holding his dead line of the New Year.

Hermione potion had finally failed. Severus knew that the brew would not survive. Too many things were going wrong and eventually the brew turned into a tar like substance and eventually burst into flames. Hermione had all but given up on the brew, but Severus made some key points to her which renewed her interest in her own recipe. He would often sit near the fire with a book in his lap as she scribbled notes and ingredients down while asking him questions, which he always readily answered due to the fact that he enjoyed the way her facial features changed while she was listening to what he had to say.

On the first of December, Severus returned to his chambers to find a large tree stuffed in the corner of his living room.

"What the bloody hell is this?" he asked before the door had closed behind him.

Hermione turned to him, grinning ear to ear with her hair in a ponytail.

"A Christmas tree," she said happily. "Dobby helped find it; he did a wonderful job, didn't he? It's beautiful,"

Severus turned and saw the small elf cowering behind Hermione's leg. Before he could say another word, Dobby vanished with a pop. Hermione sighed and turned back to the tree.

"You could have been a little nicer to him, you know,"

"Why do I have to have a tree in my bloody living room?" he asked, staring at the eye sore.

"It's for Christmas," she replied with a large grin. "It's my favorite time of year. I love the snow, the decorations, the presents, the food, everyone is always so nice. I just love it,"

Severus couldn't bring himself to say anything do to the pure happiness that was on her face. She was positively beaming in the light of the fire, spreading the branches of the tree. Instead, Severus picked up a novel, pulled off his teaching robes and sat down in the arm chair, pretending to read.

Severus did not read a single word on the page; instead, his eyes were trained on her figure, gracefully moving around the tree, adding decorations here and there. Her wand work was beautiful; the subtle twist of her wrist, the twinkle of her eye, the moment of concentration when she would pull her lip between her teeth. Gently she hummed Christmas tunes quietly to herself sometime muttering the words aloud.

Eventually, she reappeared in the room with a book, and spent a moment looking over the words before turning back to the tree. She waved her wand, causing some silver bubbles to come from the tip of her wand and drape across the tree. A moment later, she waved the bubbled away.

"Trouble?" he asked, turning a page in the book he was not reading.

"I can't get these bubbles right," she muttered, trying again, but failing once again.

"Do you want help?" he asked.

Hermione turned to look at him for a moment, as if she couldn't believe that he was offering her help, before she took the book and handed it to him. Severus quickly read over the directions and smiled to himself. Pulling out his own wand, Severus began conjuring the silver bubbles.

"Oh, they're beautiful," Hermione sighed looking at the bubbles as they wrapped themselves around the tree, making a beautiful pattern around the entire tree.

Crookshanks suddenly found his way to the tree and began attacking the decorations.

"No, Crookshanks!"

The ginger cat had already attacked the silver bubbles, pulling them from Severus' wand. Hermione scooped the cat up, with the silver bubbles hanging from his mouth.

"That wasn't very nice," she murmured, kissing the cat gently on the head.

Severus finished the bubbles with a single wave of his hand and closed the book Hermione had given him with the directions. Hermione spent the rest of the night decorating, and Severus spent the rest of the night watching her every move. Even if Severus wasn't a fan of Christmas, he certainly didn't remember a happier time in his life than the one he was having right now.


	31. Finally

**I KNOW I'M LATE! I'M SO SORRY! I've just been super busy!**

**So, if you guys don't hate me too much, can we reach 230 reviews?**

**Thanks! Enjoy!**

**I hope this chapter will suffice :)**

* * *

><p>As the days passed, Severus' chambers became more and more decorated, making it look as if Christmas itself had blown up in his living courters. Severus would never admit how much he despised the thought of Christmas because it made Hermione extremely happy, happier than he could ever remember seeing her. Every time her eyes drifted across the decorations she had put up, she was radiant. He was even willing to put up with the singing Christmas ornaments for her, and that was saying a lot.<p>

One night she came out of their bedroom with what looked like a pile of yarn.

"What are you doing with that?" he asked with a sigh, pulling his glasses from his face.

"I was going to go to the kitchens to give the elves them for Christmas," she said, eyeing him, waiting for his disapproval of the idea.

"Can't you do this tomorrow?"

"But I just finished the last one," she said with a slight pout.

Severus knew that he couldn't ignore that look.

"Very well, we'll go now," he mumbled.

"You're going too?" she asked, her eyes brimming with excitement that she was desperately trying to conceal.

"Well you didn't think I'd let you go walking around the school alone, did you?"

"No, I guess not,"

A few minutes later they were walking through the cold corridors silently. Each time they passed a suit of armor, it began to sing Christmas Carols, which highly amused Hermione. A sudden small white light darted at them, and Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, a Snow Fairy, aren't they beautiful?" she asked as the fairy sprinkled the air with glitter.

"All of this will be gone by tomorrow morning," Severus muttered while brushing some glitter from his black robes.

"Why?" Hermione asked looking as if someone had run over her cat.

"The Carrows do not like holidays, they feel it gives people hope, and that's the one thing they're trying to crush from everyone in this school,"

"Then why are the hallways decorated now?" Hermione asked, looking at the lights that danced on the ceiling above them.

He gave a small chuckle as they turned down another corridor.

"Minerva and her sneaky band of Gryffindors redecorate every night,"

"Every single night?" Hermione asked in awe.

"The Carrows will wake tomorrow and instantly sweep the school and destroy all of this, but at night, Minerva gathers the students in Gryffindor Tower and they go through each hallway and redecorate,"

"That is…wonderful," she said, with a glimmer of triumph in her eyes. "You know all of this yet you don't stop them?"

"Why should I? It's not against the rules, and it makes Minerva happy that she has not totally given up yet. The students look up to her, all of the Houses see her as the one last thing this school has. If she gives up, the school gives up,"

Hermione pulled to a stop and stared at him with so much emotion in her eyes that he had to look away.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't think I can even begin to tell you how amazing you are,"

Severus lowered his gaze to the floor, too embarrassed to look her in the face.

"I wish the rest of the world could see you how I do, like this. I'm just happy that I get to see it,"

Severus could feel his heart pounding in his chest and the sudden heat in his face.

"Can you imagine what it would be like if the entire school knew you hated the Carrows also?" Hermione said mischievously.

Severus risked a glance at her face, and she smiled gently at him before continuing their journey to the kitchen. Silently he fell into step beside her. She didn't seem to understand the force behind the words she had just spoken to him…and that he knew for a fact they were probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him before. They didn't speak another word the entire way to the kitchen. When they stepped through the door, all of the elves instantly saw Severus and froze what they were doing.

"Mistress Hermione!" came Dobby's squeaky voice.

"Hello Dobby, how are you?" she asked happily.

"Very well Mistress, very well," Dobby said with a bow.

"That's good, well, I brought you all Christmas gifts," Hermione said kneeling and separating the piles of small clothes on the floor.

Dobby instantly began clapping his hands and sorting through the piles. The rest of the elves stood still with wide eyes.

"Come on, they're all for you,"

Severus realized that they were all looking to him for approval, and he gave them a single nod. Instantly the elves swarmed the piles and Hermione watched them with a smile on her face. Soon, the elves were running around with socks on their ears while some traded clothes with the others.

"They're wearing socks on their ears," Severus mumbled to her quietly.

"Yes, but they're happy,"

A few minutes later, Severus and Hermione were seated at a table, watching the small creatures dance around in circles, singing happy songs. Hermione clapped along with them and cheered them on. Severus surveyed the scene, noticing the warmth that seemed to fill the room and consume everything in it.

Eventually the clock struck midnight, and Severus noticed Hermione yawning frequently.

"We should go now," he said.

Hermione nodded and stood from her seat, stretching her arms above her head. The elves immediately rushed at her, handing her cookies and other goodies.

"Thank you," she said with a smile before slipping out of the kitchen with Severus.

Silently he studied her as they made their way back to dungeons. Twirling, humming, and singing to her heart's content. That night he watched her sleep soundly, a small smile playing on her lips.

The days slipped by slowly, lazily for the two, but relatively happy. Severus forced himself to appear happy, for her sake, but he was anything but. He spent most of his time talking to Dumbledore's portrait.

"Harry will be at Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve, you know what you must do,"

"There has to be another way," Severus said for the hundredth time.

"There is no other way,"

The more excited Hermione became over Christmas, the more turmoil Severus was feeling. Nothing seemed to bother her, and he was glad that she would be allowed a few more days of peace.

On Christmas Eve, Severus sent Hermione to Minerva's office for the entire day. He couldn't stand the thought of looking at her the entire day. As night fell, Severus found Hermione's beaded bag and packed up all of her belongings before placing the bag beside her travel cloak. Then, Severus sent his Patronus to Minerva, ordering Hermione back to the room. He pulled on his travel cloak and stared at the clock for a few minutes, until the door opened. The instant she entered the room, he turned his eyes away.

"Put your travel cloak on and take your bag," he said.

"Where are we going?"'

"I can't tell you,"

Hermione quickly did as he asked and was ready beside the door.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she said darting to the bookcase and grabbing a package wrapped with green Christmas tree paper.

His eyes automatically followed her movements as she placed it beneath the tree.

"Ok, I'm ready," she said cheerily.

When she reached his side, he immediately took her hand and Apparated to Godric's Hollow. Severus didn't even wait a moment before he was pulling her down the street, through the lightly falling snow.

"Isn't it gorgeous here?" Hermione sighed, holding his hand lightly with a smile on her face.

All Severus could think about was the last time he was here. Never would this place hold a happy memory for him. This place would always be the place where he lost the two most important women in his life.

Due to the fact Severus had walked through this graveyard more times than he'd care to admit, he had no trouble finding the place where Potter would be. He pulled Hermione behind a small building a few feet away from the tombstone he'd stared at for hours each time he came.

"Severus, what are we doing here?" Hermione asked.

"Just wait,"

The minutes ticked by, and Severus' eyes kept straining to the woman beside him, causing him to think how beautiful she looked with flakes of snow in her hair. Finally, he heard something, and he peered around the building finding two figures standing in the spot he usually occupied. Severus took her hand and pulled her out into the open, and he knew she was curious about the two figures.

"Go and look,"

Hermione studied him for a few moments before slowing releasing his hand and heading warily towards the two figures. Severus watched quietly as he heard words spoken, a cry come from her lips, and the single embrace of the Golden Trio. Severus approached the scene soon after. Wonder Boy was telling Hermione all that had been going on in their lives, but came to a stop upon seeing Severus.

"You brought _him_?" Potter snapped.

"Severus brought me here tonight," Hermione said offering him a heart-stopping smile.

Potter studied the man for a moment before turning his eyes back to his best friend.

"Hermione, we haven't gotten anything new in months, we need you," he begged.

Severus felt his heart jump into his throat as his hands suddenly went cold.

"Harry, I can't just pick up and leave. I'd be breaking dozens of promises I've made to people,"

"Hermione, if you don't come with us and help us, I'm afraid that we're going to lose this war,"

"I can't, Harry, it's-"

"Go with them," Severus choked out.

"What!" the three cried at the same time.

"They need you," Severus said, looking at Hermione only.

"But so do you!"

"Their need is much greater than my own,"

"What about _his_ threats?" she pushed.

"I've already informed him of the fact that you will be absent for an extended period of time, he is well aware,"

A silence fell over the four, and Severus could never remember his heart ever beating as fast as it was in that single moment.

"Harry, Ron, can I please have a moment alone?" Hermione spit out from between her teeth while keeping her eyes trained solely on Severus.

"Sure," Potter replied after a moment of hesitation.

Hermione watched as they moved far enough away before turning her burning gaze on Severus.

"Why?" she snapped. "Why are you shoving me away?"

"The Dark Lord already said that he is going to kill you if you do not procure more information for him to use,"

"So you're just going to throw me out?"

"I'm trying to save your life," he hissed.

"And what about your own life?"

"That is of little importance,"

"I beg to differ!" she cried taking a large step towards him. "Severus, you don't have to do this, we can get more information a different way,"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," he muttered lowering his gaze so his hair shielded his eyes.

"I'm not making this harder; I just want to know why!"

After a moment of silence, he heard her sudden intake of breath.

"How long have you been planning this?" she asked.

"A while," he said in a defeated tone.

"Couldn't you have said something to me? Anything?"

"And have you do what?" he asked, raising his fiery eyes to hers. "Try and talk me out of it? Find another way? No, this needs to happen,"

"No it doesn't! I can't just-just leave you! I…I can't do that,"

"You'll be back with your friends, you'll be happy,"

"I'm happy where I am right now,"

Severus stared into her eyes, watching them tear up in seconds before those tears were slowing streaming down her face.

"I don't want to go," she choked out.

In an instant he pulled her into his arms, allowing her to sob violently for a few moments. Each ragged breath, and each sniffle tore Severus to pieces. She was going to hate him forever after this, he knew, and he knew that this would be the last chance for him to say goodbye to her.

"This shouldn't be happening, not today of all days. And tomorrow is our anniversary!" Hermione whispered into his chest.

"I know," he whispered, pulling her tight the moment the word 'anniversary' passed her lips.

One year ago Hermione was still in school, barely a woman, and so totally innocent. Severus immediately thought about the hallway at Grimmauld Place where they had shared their first kiss…before he disappeared for months. The same thing would he happening again.

Hermione lifted her head, staring at him with a tear streaked face. Instinctively his fingers wiped away the moisture as he studied her fierce eyes. Severus never desired something so much than he did in that single moment in time.

Without hesitation, he passionately claimed her lips with his own. Hermione instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer to her as his arms possessively claimed her waist. Neither cared that her friends were still within seeing distance, all they cared about was the fact that this may be the last time they saw each other alive.

Severus pulled her so tightly against his own body that her feet were no longer touching the snowy terrain. Hermione eagerly battled his own lips for dominance, but he easily won. Their lips spread, as they intimately explored each other's mouths in the middle of the graveyard.

Severus was sure that his heart was going to explode in his chest as he claimed her as his own. He never knew he could feel this way for another human being. At this moment, Severus allowed himself to admit that he had never even felt this way about Lily.

Hermione was the sole reason he got out of bed in the morning, the one reason he still kept up his façade. She meant more to him than anyone in his life, and here he was, saying goodbye and practically handing her away.

Severus broke away, but Hermione wasn't ready to let go. She eagerly kissed him back with a mumbled 'Don't stop', and Severus was ready to comply with her wish. He pulled her as close as their bodies would allow, both gasping for breath and clinging to each other for dear life. Eventually they were forced apart to breathe, but neither released the other. Severus lowered her feet back to the ground, but Hermione wouldn't release him from her grip.

"Hermione," Severus breathed against her cheek.

He felt her arms tighten around his neck and Severus brushed his lips across her cheek.

"You have to go,"

Her arms loosened from around his neck, and her hands found their way to his travel cloak, where they immediately locked on. Severus peered into her face, though she wouldn't meet his eyes. With a sigh he felt her hands fall from his body. Without thinking, Severus took her face in his hands and pressed his lips gently to hers. When he pulled away, he brushed her tears away.

"Everything is going to be fine," he murmured quietly.

Hermione stared into his eyes and gave him a gentle nod. Severus took a step away from her, bringing them back to reality. Time seemed to stop at that moment as silence filled the air. The pair looked at one another; the flakes fell silently around them as their breath turned to mist before their eyes.

Severus knew that there was only one more thing to do. Keeping his face hard, and his feeling suppressed deeply in his body, he turned on the spot, throwing up snow in the process. The last thing he heard was the heart wrenching sob before he was pulled through space.

When Severus reappeared in his living room, he made no move to catch himself before falling to the cold ground. He felt like all of the energy he had had left his body. The thought of not moving from the ground ever again was a very appealing one. Severus forced breath into his body, feeling like his lungs were collapsing on themselves.

What had he done? He just placed her in the care of the two most sought after wizards of all time. Where was the logic in that? He needed to do it, for her sake. Now, Severus would tell the Dark Lord that Hermione was officially in the process of retrieving more information for his cause and would be absent for a while.

Severus rolled over onto his back to stare at the gloomy ceiling. He couldn't remember feeling this bad…ever. For once Severus wished he was a selfish person. Instead, he just handed her off to her friends because they needed her more than he.

His eyes strayed to the Christmas tree stuffed in the corner of the room. She had spent hours decorating that stupid tree, but she was incredibly happy while doing so. Suddenly he found the package she had placed there before they left. It seemed so long ago. Pulling himself up, he walked to the tree and gingerly picked the cheery object up. A gingerbread man sticker indicated that the package was for him. Taking a seat on the sofa, he placed the object in his lap and simply stared at the paper which seemed to be mocking him. Should he open it? Should he just leave it? Ignore it like it was never there? The minutes ticked by and finally Severus turned the package over and began tearing the paper away.

He held in his hand a metal frame and upon closer inspection he found that behind the glass was their marriage license. On the frame, their names were engraved along with the date of their marriage. A piece of white paper fluttered from the frame, and Severus picked it up and immediately recognized her handwriting.

_I found this in your desk and thought I'd give it a proper showcase. Merry Christmas. _

Severus tossed everything aside and darted to his liquor cabinet, digging out the strongest stuff he owned. Without missing a beat, he filled and swallowed two glasses. A few minutes later he was in the bathroom, retching violently.

The liquor upset his stomach, but Severus was sure he was just being sick from his own deplorable behavior. He loathed his very existence, more so than he ever had before. Severus made his way, weakly, back to the living room, grabbing the bottle on his way back to the couch. Propping up their marriage certificate, Severus drank the hours away, never looking at anything but their signatures scrawled at the bottom of the paper.

Severus recalled the fight he had with Dumbledore that night about his insane plan. One, he was absolutely NOT going to marry his own STUDENT, let alone send her to Dark Lord. But, he lost, like he always did. He remembered glaring at the girl who wouldn't settle her eyes on his face for anything in the world. Severus recalled that even though he was beyond furious, he was impressed with the way she was handling the situation. Regardless, he was adamant that she was far too young to be taking on such responsibilities, especially for Potter.

Without knowing it, Severus warmed up to the situation. She wasn't difficult to deal with or live with. He even started to enjoy her company. Severus would readily tell anyone that he was _happy_ with their situation. He was happy with her. Granted she was stubborn and a bloody Gryffindor, but those facts faded into the background of their lives.

Stretched out across the couch, eyes locked on the most important paper in his life, and a bottle resting on the floor beside the couch, with teary eyes Severus finally allowed himself to think the very words he had forced from his own mind.

He, Severus Snape, was in love with Hermione Granger.

No.

He, Severus Snape, was in love with his wife, Hermione Snape.


	32. Of Course You Do

**Hey, I know , I'm late again. Yesterday was a mess for me.**

**Thank you for helping me reach 230! Next goal: 250. I know you can do it!**

**I hope you enjoy, even if this is on the shorter side.**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Severus awoke sprawled across the couch, feeling as if someone had thrown him down a flight of stairs in the middle of the night. His eyes immediately locked on the frame sitting on his table, mocking him. Last night came rushing back to him in a single wave. Severus sent her away, drank his night away, and finally admitted that he loved Hermione.<p>

Love?

Severus felt his pulse quicken and something else begin to churn within him. There was an intense yearning to have her back, wrapped in his arms and safe. Severus knew that for the rest of his life, he wanted her by his side.

This wasn't supposed to happen! He was not supposed to fall in love with an eighteen year old girl! She was far too young for him! No, he wouldn't think about that. If she was happy with him, then age didn't matter in the least. If she would consent to spending her life with him, Severus was sure he would be the happiest man on the face of the Earth.

Guilt washed over him suddenly. She had gotten him the most special gift he could have ever asked for, yet what did he do? He threw her out _there_ to fend for herself. She was going to hate him for the rest of her life, and if she did, what would he do? How could he go on knowing that she hated every fiber of his being?

Severus knew that he would dedicate himself to winning her back. The thought of her not being in his life was almost too much to bear.

His guilt only increased when Crookshanks suddenly jumped onto his chest. Severus scratched the ginger cat gently as the cat just stared.

"Don't look at me like that," Severus mumbled.

The cat settled down, leaving the two face to face. Severus sat for a while with Crookshanks who seemed there only to comfort Severus before he began begging for food. Severus fed him before making his way through the empty halls to Dumbledore's office. Thank heavens most of the students went home.

When Severus entered the room, he immediately approached the painting.

"Merry Christmas, Severus," Dumbledore offered with a smile.

Christmas? Today was Christmas?

"Merry Christmas," Severus replied in a gravelly voice.

"My dear boy, you don't seem very merry," Dumbledore said.

Severus simply stared at him, seeing a flash of realization dart across the paintings face.

"Ah, Hermione is gone then?"

Severus sunk into a chair, feeling himself cracking.

"Things will get better Severus,"

"No, they won't," he mumbled, staring at the desk.

"Things have their ups and downs,"

"You don't understand," Severus said shaking his head slowly.

"I'm sure that the two of you are more than happy with the arrangements now,"

"No, Albus! You don't understand!" Severus barked.

"What don't I understand?"

"I…I love her. I'm in love with her," Severus all but whispered.

"Of course you do, Severus," Albus replied with a smile.

Severus lowered his head to his arms which were folded on the desk.

"God, I love her so much," he mumbled.

"Did you tell her?"

"Of course not! I didn't figure it out until I dumped her in the middle of this damn war!"

"Don't let this eat away at you, Severus. You're going to kill yourself,"

"I can't stop thinking about it,"

"She cares for you also, always remember that,"

"Me?" Severus scoffed. "I'm old and bitter. What could she possibly see in me?"

"A great deal, apparently. She can talk about you for three hours without so much as a two second pause,"

"What does she say?"

"I think that's something she would like to say to you herself," Dumbledore answered quietly and with a smile.

Severus wandered aimlessly throughout the castle for the next few days, barely eating or sleeping. When the students returned from holiday, Severus took to the hallways at night, stalking through the corridors, always ending at the library where he sat at the table he found her at when she was researching Unbreakable Vows during the Quidditch match.

The school felt colder without her there, his chambers were lifeless and his bed unwelcoming. Every night he clung to her pillow, greedily inhaling the vanilla aroma that usually clung to her. The aroma did little to ease his pain. Severus needed her _warmth_ beside him, not just a ghost.

Severus looked at his ring more in the few weeks after the separated than ever before. He knew he could see her again with just two twists of the piece of metal on his finger. He knew that she would come, no matter what, just like he went to her no matter what.

What was she doing now? Was she safe? Was she starving out there? Was she cold? Was she lost and confused? Did she think about him?

Questions constantly plagued his mind nearly every hour of the day. Most days Severus could tolerate the constant nagging in his mind, but the days that were more difficult, he usually drank himself to sleep each night.

Severus knew he was in a self-destructive spiral that would kill him, but he didn't know what else he could do with himself. Nothing he did seemed to keep his interest, not even locking himself in his own private lab. The stones were marred with the memories of her leaning over the cauldron, scribbling on her notes, and chewing her lip when in a deep thought.

Severus couldn't even use the Potions classroom to brew, seeing that every moment he walked in, he could point at the very seats she had throughout the years. Hermione was everywhere, never giving him a moment's reprieve, constantly antagonizing him with memories and the fact that he easily gave her up.

Severus distracted himself with punishing the Carrows in any way he could that would not get him in trouble with the Dark Lord. Causing them pain made him feel better about his own pain. _They_ deserved it, every single thing that happened to them, they deserved. Before he turned a blind eye to Minerva's doings, but now, he didn't even tell the Carrows that he didn't know what was going on. He admitted that he knew, but was far too busy to worry about it and that they should stop acting like children and move on with their lives. Severus went as far as encouraging Minerva to retaliate against the Death Eaters more than she used to.

Severus remembered when he informed Minerva that Hermione was no longer with them.

"Well, were on Earth could she have gone?" she said, staring at Severus like he was crazy.

"She went with Potter and Weasley, Minerva, where do you think she went?" Severus hissed, trying to avoid the subject.

"Did you let her just walk out?"

"It was that or the Dark Lord was going to kill her,"

There was a moment of silence, and Severus was beginning to think that the woman had left the room.

"I'm sorry,"

"For what?" he snapped viciously, wishing she would just go already.

"I know how much you care for her; it must have been difficult for you,"

Severus never made a reply. If Minerva even _knew_ how much he did care for Hermione.


	33. Thank You

**Hello! **

**Thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming, they make me smile :)**

**Read and Review!**

* * *

><p>Winter attacked with a vengeance. The temperature seemed to be stuck below twenty and there was never a day that snow did not make it nearly impossible for the students to make it to the greenhouses. Severus nearly constantly worried about Hermione, sitting with Potter and Weasley in the freezing cold. At least she was skilled enough to make a fire for them.<p>

Severus found himself constantly returning to the Astronomy Tower, staring out across the frosty grounds. Small movements would draw his attention, make his heart jump into his throat, but then he would be disappointed in the fact that it was a stray animal, emerging from the forest. How many times had he imagined her emerging from that forest? How many hours had he stared longingly at the unwelcoming trees, hoping she had somehow made it through the constant security on the school to return to him.

The days seemed to drag on, a never ending wait for Severus. He paced in his office constantly, just for something to do so he didn't lose his mind. His fingers were raw and sometimes bloody from stress and he was constantly pulling at his hair.

But one day, something new occurred.

"Severus, it is time,"

"Time for what, Albus," Severus asked in a bored tone, once again wishing that something would come and end it all for him.

"The sword,"

Immediately Severus was on his feet and looking at the portrait.

"Now?"

"Yes, they need it,"

Severus retrieved the object from behind the portrait and followed Dumbledore's instructions to place it in the Forrest of Dean, making sure to send his Patronus out so they could find it. He stood in the Astronomy Tower, waiting for night fall, his heart pounding in his chest erratically. Would he see her tonight? Should he look for her? If he did, would it only make it more painful for him in the long run? Could it honestly get any worse?

He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, his fingers protesting at the action. He knew he was cold, but the energy pulsing through his body made it easy to forget such physical ailments. Severus stared at the sun, challenging the burning body with his glare. The sun hung in the sky, mocking him, slowing creeping lower in the sky, seeming to know Severus' desperation for the darkness that evening.

Finally, night engulfed the grounds and Severus, with a sigh of much awaited relief, Apparated smoothly. The instant his feet touched the ground he could feel the magic crackling in the air. They must have surrounded themselves with wards to prevent people from stumbling across their camp. Severus quickly made his way through the woods, looking for a spot to hide the sword, the real sword. Bellatrix thought that the real one was in her vault, but she had no way in telling the two apart, only a Goblin could do so.

Severus stumbled across a pond, and instantly broke the ice before unceremoniously tossing the sword into the murky depths and refreezing the hole. Quickly he made his way back, waiting for the moment he could feel the air begin to crackle. When he reached that point, Severus purposely made noise in order to get someone's attention before casting his Patronus. Sure enough Potter suddenly appeared, engrossed with the sight of the doe.

Severus sent the Patronus away, and he watched as Potter stumbled after the animal. Once he was out of sight, Severus darted towards the point where he saw Potter appear from. He could feel the magic; it was her magic, sure and strong. Stepping forward, he could feel the shields objecting, but he made it through. There, he found a tent, dark inside.

Stealthily Severus approached the structure and quickly ducked inside. Standing still for a moment, he could hear soft breathing of a single person. His eyes darted to a jar that rested on a table. The jar contained a crackling flame, releasing just the right amount of light so Severus could find the one occupied bunk.

Instantly he could recognize the hair, spread out across the pillow in an untamed way, the way he often saw the tresses fall across his own pillow. Severus found himself kneeling beside her bed, his eyes darting across her face as if he'd never seen her before.

Her face was thin and her lips were chapped. She obviously hadn't been sleeping very well due to the dark circles that were present under her eyes. His eyes traveled lower, to her hands, and found that she was clutching a black book, the book he had given her for her birthday. There were odd pieces of parchment sticking from the pages, and Severus couldn't help himself as he maneuvered the book from her thin fingers. Opening the book, the pieces fluttered to the floor and he quickly snatched them up.

Each piece was a note that he had written her. The note telling her that their lessons needed to be cancelled or the note telling her to not do anything stupid while he was away; everything that had his hand writing on it was tucked safely in the novel. It was clear that she often handled the pages seeing as they were wrinkled and folded.

Slowly, he replaced the papers into the cover where he had written _Happy Birthday _to her. Severus looked into her face once again, wishing he could just wake her up; hold her for a few minutes, just to see if the feeling was still the same. He knew that the idea wasn't logical. It was hard enough for the two of them to say goodbye the first time, and Severus knew that he couldn't do the same thing again.

Severus suddenly yanked out the piece of parchment that stated that he would be absent for an extended amount of time and quickly flipped through the book, searching for the chapter he knew she would recognize. When they would brew together, Severus often searched through the essay on chemical reactions between ingredients in order to help them brew and because it was the most fascinating thing to him. Often Hermione commented on the fact that most of his private library was mainly chemical compositions of ingredients and the various reactions they would have with other ingredients.

Quickly he slid the piece of parchment into the book and softly closed the cover. With a sigh, Severus placed the book beside her on the bed and stood. Suddenly he could hear footsteps outside and voices.

"Hermione!" Potter called.

Severus watched as she began to stir slightly. In a flash be bent over her, pressed his lips to her temple and then Apparated back to his cold rooms, still feeling her warmth lingering on his lips.

That night, his dreams were haunted by Hermione's emaciated figure emitting that heart breaking sob.

As the week drifted on, his dreams slowly morphed into Hermione laughing at him, mocking his age and his past, clinging to Weasley as if she shared a blood line with him. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she fully rejected him? Every time he would see her eyes, laughing at him, he awoke in a cold sweat and spent hours staring at his ceiling. Constantly he reminded himself that the Hermione in his dreams wasn't the Hermione he knew and loved. But as the weeks dragged on, the line became blurry. Severus was fearful of losing her memory and would often test himself to see if he could still remember her laugh or her face when she was reading.

When he would go to a meeting with the Dark Lord, Severus spent every ounce of energy trying to keep him out. Hermione constantly burst forward and he practically had to beat her back into his secure room. Their meetings were held in the same room she was tortured in, and that's all he could think of when he was there.

While at the meetings, Severus often found himself studying Lucius. The man seemed to be deteriorating by the week; the pressure was too much for him. Narcissa on the other hand was all about appearances. Never did she appear without wearing all of her finest clothing, jewelry with her make up done perfectly. Even as she sat at the table, she stuck her nose in the air because she was a pureblood.

Sitting in front of his fire, Severus scoffed at the idea. Pureblood. Who in the wizarding world was pureblood, except for a select few? If magical beings were only allowed to mate with one another, their race would have been extinct hundreds of years ago. Severus himself was half-blood, but that never hindered him in his learning. He was often at the top of his class. Of course his mind drifted to Hermione. No one in her family line had ever had a drop of magical blood in them, yet she was by far the most brilliant witch he had ever come across. Her mind surpassed even those of the pureblood snobs.

Severus felt himself drifting, and immediately thought the same sentence he thought every night before he fell asleep.

_I hope to God she makes it through the night._

Hermione heard her name being called from a distance, but she tried to ignore it. She was having the most wonderful dream. It was sunny outside and Hermione was standing in a field of flowers wearing a white sun dress that was gently blowing in the light breeze. Slowly she stepped among the flowers, sighing at the world around her.

She could see him almost immediately. His black robes commanded respect and attention, and his powerful stride made people stare.

Hermione could feel her heart beat and breath quicken at the sight. In a flash he Apparated and was gone.

"Severus?" she called out gently.

She could instantly feel his presence behind her and whirled around. His dark eyes were sparkling and his lip was slightly lifted into an amused smile. Hermione instantly felt herself begin to grin at him.

He bent down and pulled a beautiful purple flower from the ground before handing it to her. She took it from his graceful fingers and twirled it slightly. Before she could say anything, he took her hand and the two began to slowly walk along with one another. Hermione stared at his face. He seemed at peace, something she never saw in his face, even when he slept.

Before she could say another word, her name echoed in her ear, yanking her hand from his.

"Hermione!"

She tried to find that field of flowers again, but she could feel herself surfacing quickly. Suddenly she felt a pressure against her forehead, and Hermione awoke with a gasp. Quickly she looked around the tent for someone. Reaching a hand up, she touched her temple. Something had touched her, but what?

Hermione didn't have much time to think before she could hear Harry calling her name. In an instant she darted out of the tent in a frenzy.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked looking around.

What she didn't expect to see what Ron standing there. She definitely didn't expect him to be holding the sword of Gryffindor.

"Why are you here and _how_ did you get that?" she snapped.

What was he doing here? He just left them!

"Hey," he muttered.

Hermione snapped and exploded for a few minutes, and thankfully Ron knew better than to open his mouth. When she was calm enough to listen to the two boys, she was forced to endure Ron's story of how he heard her voice and that's what brought him back. Hermione shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

She loved Ron, just not in _that_ way. Not the way she found that she loved Severus. She would give everything up for that man, every single earthly possession that she had. If he wanted her to move to Antarctica with him, she would go without a second thought. She would give her life up for him if it ever came to that. Hermione was well aware that she was young, and he would tell her that she had so much to live for, and he was old and had lived his life. But Hermione wouldn't listen to him. She would sacrifice her own life so he could get a second chance to live the life that was stolen from him. He needed to know that the world wasn't necessarily a bad place; he was just part of the wrong crowd.

"So what about the sword?" she asked trying to steer the conversation off of herself.

"I was keeping watch and suddenly I saw a light. It was a Patronus,"

"I thought it was Harry's," Ron said.

"No, mine's a stag. That was a doe,"

Hermione's head snapped up as she stared at Harry. Her throat went dry and she could feel the blood drain from her face.

"A doe?" she choked out.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Are you positive it was a doe? It couldn't have been something else?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't a doe.

If it was, she knew it was him. No one else she knew had a Patronus like that. He would have been so close to her, close enough to touch if she wanted to.

"It was a doe, I'm sure,"

Hermione's eyes darted around the woods surrounding them, hoping that she saw a movement of black, or perhaps hear the wind whipping the black robes she so desperately missed.

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione's hand flashed to her temple. He was right there, while she was sleeping. He had touched her. Why didn't he wake her? Why didn't he allow her to just see him for a few moments? Why didn't he allow her to have _something_ to get through this?

She could feel the tears spring into her eyes as she looked around for his form, knowing he was long gone by now.

"Are you alright?" Ron pushed.

"Fine," Hermione snapped, rushing back into the tent.

He was right there. Right there! Her eyes found her book and froze. There were no odd pieces of parchment sticking out of the edges of her book. Rushing forward she opened the cover seeing that each piece was neatly placed in the cover of the book Severus had gotten her. Someone had rearranged them. Her eyes found the one piece that was slightly protruding from the middle of the book, a place where she never put anything.

Gently, she flipped the pages over to reach the piece of parchment. When she reached the page, she nearly burst into tears. This was Severus' favorite chapter, she knew. She was sure he knew this essay by heart given that he had read it over so many times.

Tears filled her eyes as she sunk to her knees.

"Thank you," she mumbled to no one.

He had given them the one thing they knew could destroy the locket; once again, Severus Snape had saved them. Not only that, but he had let her know that it was he who had been there. Part of her was happy that he had been so close, but another part of her was shattering, knowing that she could have reached up and touched him after weeks of not even being in his presence.

"Thank you," she whispered, gently touching the page that his fingers had touched so many times before.


	34. Mr Lovegood

**Thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming!**

* * *

><p>Hermione quickly lost track of time once she left Hogwarts. Even thought she was gone, Hermione rarely had a thought cross her mind that was directly related to Hogwarts, and therefore, Severus.<p>

Hermione didn't know it was possible to miss someone so much. She often wondered how he was doing, alone in his room and how the meetings with the Dark Lord were going. Was he getting extra punishment because she wasn't there? Did he have to care for his own wounds after their meetings? Did he miss her?

That night, Hermione didn't sleep. She simply clutched her book to her chest, silently thanking the man in black, praying that he was okay.

The days with the three passed slowly; there wasn't much they could do. Hermione read and reread every book she had brought with her. Harry moped around most of the time, staring at nothing for nearly hours on end. Hermione knew he was desperately trying to think of something, anything that could help them. Ron spent most of his time bugging her, trying to get her to talk to him and tell him what the two of them had been up to while he was gone.

Hermione couldn't keep her mind focused. She needed to help Harry, she missed Severus desperately, and she needed to let Ron down easily. She obviously knew that she couldn't reject him now, not when they all needed to band together.

Each night they would listen to the radio, praying that no one they knew would be there. They had already heard Ted Tonks, Nymphadora's father, had been killed. Hermione also listened for things about Hogwarts, and every now and then, Severus' name would creep through the static, before slipping away again, bring no decisive news for her to work with.

Hermione knew the three were slowly drifting apart, regardless of the fact that they lived with each other now. There was too much tension in the air, and they were too frustrated to be social to one another. On more than one occasion Hermione snapped at Harry for something ridiculous.

The stress was slowly wearing Hermione down, yet she desperately tried to keep working on her shields, but she knew they were significantly weaker than when she was with Severus. Every day, she felt herself growing weaker, feeling the stress seeping into her skin and invading her veins. Her thoughts acted as an accelerant. They were in the middle of the woods, yet Hermione couldn't recall a time where she's felt more claustrophobic.

As each day passed and Hermione could feel the tension building between the three. Something was going to give way, and soon. Hermione didn't know if she could handle what would happen between the three.

They continued to move around the countryside, afraid to stay in one place for too long. Food was scarce, making them all cranky. Hermione could see that they were all drastically losing weight and struggling to make it thought the days. The breaking point was quickly approaching.

Hermione was searching through the book she had taken from Bathilda Bagsot's home.

"Harry, come here," Hermione called after coming across a symbol she had seen numerous times before.

"What is it?" he said sitting beside her.

"Look here," Hermione pointed out. "I've seen this everywhere. Both Dumbledore and Grindelwald use it at the bottom of each of their letters, and it's in the book Dumbledore left me,"

Hermione instantly knew that Harry had seen the image before by the way his eyes widened.

"I saw this at Bill and Fleur's wedding," he said running his finger over the image.

"At the wedding?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, around Xenophilius Lovegood's neck, it was his necklace,"

"Luna's father?"

"Yes,"

The three looked at each other, a feeling of uneasiness settling among them.

"Hermione, we have to go," Harry said.

"I know," she said with a sigh.

That night, the three were silent, yet all awake. Hermione couldn't help but weigh the pros and cons of the visit they would be paying the following morning. This would be the first time they would be seen by someone since the incident at the Ministry. If Lovegood was anything like his daughter, the three would have to be especially careful.

Hermione spent the night watching the tent flaps gently lifting in the breeze, thinking of Severus, thinking through the numerous situations they could be confronted with when the sun rose the next day.

The next thing Hermione saw was the blinding light from the sun. Immediately she jumped up and began packing the tent up. The two boys awoke soon after and the three silently finished packing up the tent. Hermione pulled the beaded bag over her head, allowing the strap to cross her chest.

"Ready?" Harry asked, taking her hand while Ron took her other.

She nodded once, and then quickly Apparated.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with the odd structure of Luna's home. The three gave a collective sigh as they stared at the place where they would hopefully receive some sort of direction.

The three quickly made their way to the front door, making sure they were as quiet as possible. Harry immediately knocked on the door, and Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her throat.

The door swung open and they were met with a shaggy looking man. Quickly Harry worked and the man let them in.

"Mr. Lovegood, where is Luna?" Hermione questioned, knowing the students from Hogwarts should be on break.

"Oh, she'll be around shortly," the man said, keeping his face turned away from the three.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Xenophilius prepared them something to drink. As they forced the harsh liquid down their throats, Harry finally spoke.

"We were wondering if you could tell us about the Deathly Hallows?"

Xenophilius looked up at Harry as if he was seeing him for the first time. Slowly, Xenophilius began to tell the story of the three brothers.

Hermione's head was whirling by the end of the tale. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Could something that outrageous be true?

"Oh," Xenophilius said, jumping up and grabbing the tea pot. "I'll go and get you some more water,"

Quickly he left the room, making Hermione's stomach flip and her uneasiness of the whole situation increase to a near smothering level.

"That cannot be true," Hermione whispered, clinging to her bag.

"Why not? Harry already has the cloak," Ron protested.

"Either way, I think we should get out of here," Harry said, voicing Hermione's uneasiness.

The three quickly walked down the stairs where Xenophilius was clumsily moving around in the kitchen.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but I think we better be off," Hermione said.

No one expected Xenophilius' reaction. Immediately he moved to the door, locking it and blocking the door.

"I need you, he has her, he has my Luna,"

"Mr. Lovegood-"

"They were angry at what I was printing, and they took her. But if I have you, I could get her back,"

"Who has Luna?" Ron asked.

Xenophilius looked at them for a moment, and barely moving his lips, whispered one name.

"Voldemort,"

Instantly there were explosions around them, and Hermione fell to the ground with a scream. Her eyes found Harry's black hair and she desperately crawled towards him, snatching his hand.

Debris violently rained upon them, and Hermione tucked her head against her chest as an attempt to protect her face.

"Ron!" Harry yelled among the explosions.

The second Hermione felt Ron's hand touch hers, she Apparated, leaving the exploding house behind them.

The three were thrown into bushes with small grunts of pain. Almost immediately, Ron jumped up and started cursing Xenophilius. The other two slowly climbed to their feet, brushing themselves off.

"If I ever see him again, I'm going to kill him!" Ron shouted, his face turning red.

Before Hermione could make a retort, figures suddenly appeared before them.

Snatchers.


	35. Some Fun

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews! You don't even know how inspirational they are!**

**Let's try for 280! I know you can do it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Before a single note of fear could be uttered, the Golden Trio turned and fled into the woods.<p>

Hermione could hear nothing but her feet pounding the ground, her harsh breathing, and the spells causing trees to explode around her. Terror gripped every fiber of her being, causing her to run faster than she even thought she could. Her senses were heightened to a level she didn't think possible. Quickly she dodged around trees, avoided rocks, and jumped over logs decaying on the forest floor.

Even as petrified as she was, her eyes searched for Harry and Ron. Harry was ahead of her.

An instant later she heard someone crash to the ground behind her, and she immediately knew that Ron had fallen, but she couldn't stop herself. Harry. He needed to live. If any one of the three of them needed to live, it had to be Harry. Suddenly Harry came to a screeching halt in the middle of the forest, and Hermione instantly saw why.

They were completely surrounded.

Snatchers didn't care about her, or Ron. They needed Harry. Still slightly running, Hermione raised her wand and struck him with a Stinging Hex.

An instant later, the Snatchers descended upon them.

Hermione screamed as hands grabbed her, restraining her.

"What do we have here?" the smallest asked, looking around at the three of them.

His eyes landed on her, and he paused.

"Hello, beautiful," he purred, running a filthy finger across her jaw line.

Ron began to struggle as he watched the scene, and one of the Snatchers kicked him in the stomach.

"No!" Hermione cried, not wanting to see her best friend being hurt.

The small one seemed to be in charge, after a few minutes looking over Harry, particularly his forehead, and quiet discussion, he ordered that the three of them be taken. Hermione's eyes kept flashing between the Snatchers, afraid of what they would do next.

They suddenly Apparated and Hermione nearly collapsed upon seeing what building stood before them.

Malfoy Manor.

Instantly they were pulled to the gate, fighting the whole way there. For a few minutes, they silently struggled when a figure suddenly emerged from the house. Hermione's heart jumped into her throat. She knew that the two boys didn't have any idea of the identity of the lithe figure approaching them, but Hermione knew. She would know that crazed hair until the day she died. Bellatrix Lestrange.

Hermione viciously fought against her restraints. She needed to get away. Hermione knew that if she was left alone with Bellatrix Lestrange, without the Dark Lord there, she would not be coming out alive.

"Feisty," the skinny one said against her neck.

Suddenly, Bellatrix was there, standing before the gate.

"What do you want?" she hissed at the Snatchers, apparently disgusted by their very presence.

"I think we have something that may interest you," the skinny man said, pressing Harry against the gate and lifting his hair.

Hermione saw Bellatrix's eyes suddenly gain an insane flair to them, and her stomach dropped. It was all over for them.

"Bring him in," Bellatrix hissed.

Her demented eyes flashed to Hermione, and her lips spread into a malicious grin that showed her rotting teeth.

"What do we have here? The Mudblood without her body guard? Whatever shall you do?" she mocked, grinning wider at Hermione's frightened look. "You and I are going to have some fun,"

Hermione felt her blood pounding through her veins at an alarming rate. Bellatrix's eyes bore into hers, and Hermione felt her body freeze with fear. With another frightening grin, Bellatrix opened the gate, and the three were pulled inside.

Once they were in the house, the three silently waited for their fates. It was then that Bellatrix saw the sword.

"Where did you get this?" she roared at the three.

No one answered her. Hermione had never seen one person so wild before.

"Lock the boys in the cellar!"

The three instantly began fighting again. Hermione watched in pure horror as Ron and Harry were yanked down the flight of stairs and to the cellar, leaving her alone with Bellatrix.

"I've been waiting a very long time for this,"

Bellatrix ordered everyone from the room, leaving Hermione standing there, alone.

"Your body guard isn't here to help you now," Bellatrix growled, before casting the Crutiatus curse through her teeth.

Hermione couldn't help herself as she collapsed to the ground, screaming.

"How did you get that sword?" Bellatrix snapped, standing above her.

"I don't know," Hermione gasped out before Bellatrix attacked her again. "Please!" Hermione screamed.

After a few attempts at the Crutiatus Curse, Bellatrix was suddenly on top of Hermione with a knife in her face.

"I told Severus I would carve your skin," she hissed into her face as Hermione sobbed. "And for once, I'd like to stick to my word,"

Bellatrix began clawing at Hermione's sleeve, pulling it up and leaving the skin of her left arm bare.

"No, please," Hermione gasped, trying to fight with her.

Instantly she could feel the incredible pain as the knife began to penetrate her skin. Hermione let herself go. She screamed like she had never screamed before, with each stroke of the knife across her skin, Hermione was consumed with pain. She was screaming, sobbing, and begging, her words were becoming jumbled, sentences blurring together to form a string of incomprehensible words.

Bellatrix all the while was screaming words at her, slurs of vulgar words Hermione's ears could not pick up through the pain and her own screams.

Vaguely, Hermione thought about the end of her life. Was this it? Would she finally be killed on this dusty floor? The floor she had spent so many hours on, fighting for her life? Was this how it would end? This maniac woman crushing the breath from her body, screaming over her own screams, while carving her skin with a dull knife? Would this be the last time she would see the world? The last time she would breath? Would that moment in the graveyard be the last she would spend with Severus? Was this the end?

As these questions darted across Hermione's mind, the knife was removed from her skin, but that did not erase the pain that radiated from the wound. Bellatrix was gone, and Hermione felt numb, aside from her arm.

She allowed her mind to wander as Bellatrix was speaking with someone. Hermione would love to be sitting at Spinner's End right now, in the living room with Severus. He would be sitting on the sofa, with a large volume in his hand with his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Hermione would watch his thin fingers flip page after page while his dark eyes darted over the words, soaking them in with a scowl on his face.

For a moment, his eyes would lift to hers, and they would flash at her in a way that would make her smile at him, a smile that would reward her with a slight lift of the corner of his mouth before his eyes once more returned to the aged pages.

Hermione was abruptly yanked back to the cold room by Bellatrix walking close to her head.

"Bring me the goblin! NOW!"

Flurry of movement. Steps on stairs. Metal door.

Hermione felt like her brain couldn't make sense of the noises surrounding her.

"Restrain yourself, Greyback. I just want a little more fun before you kill her,"

Hermione heard a growl in response. There were more footsteps. Bellatrix began yelling again, and despite the pain, Hermione began thinking of a way out. Time was ticking away, quickly, and soon Voldemort would arrive.

Hermione began taking note of the people in the room. The Malfoy family was there, Draco hiding in the corner after he was forced to stare at Harry and identify him. Of course he lied, there was no way that Hermione and Ron would be together without Harry. Lucius and his wife were standing with their son, staying out of Bellatrix's way. Most of the Snatchers ran off. Greyback was standing close by, Hermione could smell him.

Movement caught her attention. Harry and Ron were sneaking up the stairs. No matter how they got away, they needed that sword; the one Severus had risked his life to give them.

SEVERUS!

Without a second thought, Hermione subtly turned the ring on her finger, over and over again, knowing that she had surpassed the two turns needed to call him.

She could feel the tears running down her face as her mind settled on the very last hope they had. He needed to come. He had to. If he didn't, the war would end in this dingy room, with Harry lying dead in the middle of the floor, most likely the rest of them following a similar fate.

"I'm bored, Greyback, take her outside," Bellatrix snapped.

A sudden burst of movement occurred. Harry and Ron darted forward, attacking while someone was attacking back. Hermione remained still on the floor, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly she was being yanked off of the floor, and for a moment her heart jumped, until she realized she was being handled too roughly. The familiar knife was pressed into her skin, and she whimpered.

"ENOUGH!" Bellatrix screeched in her ear.

All together the fighting ended.

"Draco, take their wands,"

He immediately obeyed, leaving Harry and Ron defenseless.

"Now call him,"

No one made a move.

"NOW! We can finally redeem the family name! Imagine if we were the ones to turn in Harry Potter?"

Through her tears, Hermione watched as Lucius lifted his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark, and just as he was about to summon their doom, a voice cut through the air.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"


	36. Very Soon

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews, and thank you for being patient with me! I've been crazy busy!**

**Do you think we can reach 300 this week? I think you can do it!**

**Also, people seem to not be enjoying this story. The only advice I can give you is if you don't enjoy it, don't read it. No one is forcing you. This is my story and I am going to do whatever I want with it. If it is not to your tastes, there are plenty of other stories out there that may be more suiting for you to read.**

**Thank you :) **

* * *

><p>A sob escaped from Hermione's chest as her knees went weak.<p>

"SNAPE!" Bellatrix screeched.

"My, my, Bella, stooping to new lows, I see,"

"What are you talking about? Why are you here!"

"I had an inkling you were up to something the Dark Lord wouldn't approve of. What wonderful intuition I have, don't I?"

Hermione closed her eyes, listening to him walk around the room, the noise of his boots echoing around the room.

"Lucius, call him!" Bellatrix screeched.

"Now, now, Lucius. I would think about this before you start making impulse decisions like your dear sister-in-law,"

"This could restore my family," the man meekly replied.

"True, it could. But what if the Dark Lord knew you were interfering with his plans?"

The room was still as every person clung to his words.

"You didn't think just because she was not present at meetings that he wasn't using her, did you?"

"But, Bella-"

"Misinformed you again, I see. The Dark Lord was using her to retrieve valuable information for our cause, and once again, Bella has allowed her feelings to govern her actions,"

"Feelings!" the woman screeched as she pushed the knife harder against Hermione's throat, causing her to cry out. "FEELINGS! I am trying to help the Dark Lord! With this filthy Mudblood out of the way, we can finally move forward with our plans! We don't need her now that we have Potter!"

"You of all people should know the Dark Lord's feelings towards the girl, Bellatrix. I know he often speaks of it to you,"

Hermione could feel the woman shaking with rage behind her. Before another word could be spoken, all eyes turned upwards to a squeaking. There, Dobby sat, unscrewing the chandelier. With a snap, the large metal structure plummeted downwards, and with a cry, Bellatrix shoved Hermione forward in an effort to escape.

Hermione immediately fell into black robes, her senses filled with familiar scents. Somehow in the process Harry had regained the wands. Her brain was slow to process the next few moments. There were more words exchanged, arms tightened their hold on her, and a knife was suddenly hurtling towards them as Hermione felt the sudden pull through space.

Sunlight, water, and sand. All three touched Hermione's skin at the same time. How can things change so drastically? Was it over? Was she dead?

She opened her eyes and found nothing but blue sky above her with faint wisps of clouds drifting by.

Hermione rolled over and pushed herself off of the ground just as someone appeared at her side. Their hands seemed to skate over any part of her being that they could reach.

"Hermione, look at me," a frantic voice said.

Her eyes strayed upward until they landed on his face. Oh, his face. She had forgotten how uniquely handsome he was, how his strong cheek bones and jaw line made her want to touch his skin. His hands framed her face and his eyes darted over her features in a panic. She wanted to say something to him, anything, but the words wouldn't process. Instead, silently crying, she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder, clinging to him while shaking violently. His arms encompassed her, with no hesitation, with no uncomfortable motions. Sure and strong he pulled her to his form whispering quiet words that her ears couldn't process while stroking her tangled hair.

Hermione was pulled back to reality when her name was yelled. She pulled her arms back and turned to see Harry cradling Dobby's form to his chest, the bloody knife discarded in the wet sand.

"I need something to help him," Harry said.

Hermione's tears flowed faster as she looked at Harry appearing so vulnerable and holding the elf tightly to his chest. She leaned into Severus, needing to touch him as they all helplessly watched their savior slip away. His arm wrapped around her shoulders once Dobby had finally let go and he allowed her to cry into his robes.

"I want to bury him, without magic," Harry announced once he was composed.

Ron walked past Hermione and Severus and followed Harry to the top of the hill, a small distance from Shell Cottage. Hermione used her good hand to brace herself as she stood. Severus helped her from the ground, and tried to stop her, but with a single look, he let her go and followed her to the hill where Harry and Ron had already half dug the hole.

Hermione found a flat rock and carved "Here lies Dobby, a free elf," with one of the wands Harry had taken in the fight.

Severus awkwardly stood in the background, shifting his position according to Hermione's movements, keeping a close eye on her.

Harry finally lowered Dobby into the hole and the three gradually pushed the sand back into its rightful place before Hermione gently put into place the headstone. For a few minutes the three stood together, silently, remembering their friend.

"Let's go in," Harry croaked out.

The three made their way down the hill, Hermione instantly making her way to Severus' side. She could see his hesitance in his movements. He kept drawing close to her before pulling away because of Harry and Ron's presence.

The minute they entered the house, the three were ushered to the table where Fleur had been about to serve lunch. Harry and Ron instantly began filling their plates, but Hermione felt like she was suddenly trapped. There were so many people in the small room, so much movement. Hermione just wanted to be alone. She needed to think. She couldn't focus.

Abruptly, she stood from the table, drawing more than one set of eyes to her form.

"I think I'm going to wash up…I have sand in my hair," she lied lamely.

Avoiding Severus' stern gaze, Hermione escaped up the stairs and into the bathroom. Turning the shower on, Hermione sunk into the large tub without removing her clothing. The water was freezing, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin along with shivering to consumer her form. She felt like Bellatrix was imprinted into her skin, like she would always be a part of her being. Her eyes strayed to her left hand, where blood was still dripping down her palm.

Rolling up her sleeve, Hermione gazed at her wound for the first time since it was inflicted. The word 'MUDBLOOD' screamed at her in harsh lettering, dripping blood which was mixing with the water, causing an eerie swirling pattern to slowly travel towards the drain. She was forever marked by the hatred behind the word viciously scratched into her skin.

Hermione allowed the cold water to drench her body and irritate her injury. She felt disgusting. She felt violated, and as she sat in the cold spray, Hermione tried to forget and avoid her feelings.

A knock caused her head to slightly turn towards the door. She wasn't coming out, not until she could straighten herself out. The knock sounded again, and once against she ignored it.

"Hermione?"

That voice.

"Go away," she said as her voice cracked.

She didn't want him to see her like this. She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. When he opened the door, she didn't look at him, let alone acknowledge that he even was in the room. She could feel the emotions churning just below the surface, and she tried to swallow them and squash them.

When he went to touch her dripping hair, she slid away from him. She didn't want him to touch her. Without a word, Severus Snape climbed in beside her, allowing his respected robes to become drenched.

As his body pressed against hers, Hermione could feel the tears bursting forward, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

The water spraying the two suddenly became warm, almost hot, and Hermione turned herself away from him.

She didn't want him to see her. She wanted to be alone.

His fingers gently grabbed her arm and she flinched away from him.

"No," she sniffled.

"Please let me see," he said quietly.

She shook her head, the tears streaming faster.

"I can help,"

Something in Hermione suddenly made her yank her sleeve up and brandish her arm at him.

"Look at what she did to me," Hermione whispered, staring at his face, though his gaze was on the harsh wound. "How can that be fixed?"

Her tears began again and his eyes immediately left her arm and settled on her face. Severus immediately wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him, letting sobs tear through her body. The stress she had been bottling up for the past few months suddenly came crashing down on her all at once.

She was grateful Severus was there with her. His arms wrapped around her body, demonstrating the safety she always felt with him. His fingers gently stroked her dripping hair as he slowly rocked her back and forth.

After a few minutes, her sudden outburst began to ebb away, but Severus still rocked her and held her tightly against his body, protecting her.

"I feel like she's still on me," Hermione whispered, just loud enough so he could hear her over the spray. "I feel like I won't ever get her off of me,"

Severus pressed his lips to her forehead and tightened his arms around her.

"I feel…violated and…and hideous," Hermione said, choking on her tears.

Severus pulled away from her and instantly held her face with his two hands, forcing her eyes to his.

"It's over," he whispered gently. "She's never going to hurt you again; she's never going to touch you again, okay? She can't take anything away from you unless you let her. You're still that stubborn, insufferable know-it-all with your damn noble tendencies, and you've never looked more…beautiful than you do now,"

Hermione instantly pressed her lips to his, and he more than willingly accepted the action. All at once she realized how much she had missed him, which only further increased her passion. Soon, her hands were tangled in his hair, the water pouring over the two and his hands grasping at her back.

In a split moment, Hermione felt herself being shifted so she was on her back, and Severus was leaning over her. Peeling her eyes opened, she found him staring down at her, the water blocked by his form. Her hands gently caressed his face and an instant later, they were desperately clinging to one another as she let him take control of her lips. Hermione managed to wrap a leg around his waist, as nearly all of his body weight rested on her. Pulling her hand from his hair, she began fighting his robes off of his shoulders, which he helped her with. The wet material was thrown on the floor with a splat, and the two instantly resumed their desperate grabbing. Severus dug his fingers into her thigh that was wrapped around him and slipped his hand under her shirt so he could feel the smooth skin of her back. Hermione threw her head back to breath, and his lips instantly sought out her neck.

"Severus," she sighed, tangling her hands in his hair.

He suddenly froze above her, pulling his hands away from her body.

"Hermione, we can't. Not here," he muttered, sighing against her skin.

She relaxed against him with a sigh and closed her eyes.

"I know," she muttered.

He gently pressed his lips against the spot beneath her ear.

The two untangled themselves and sat up, trying to control their breathing. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. The water was making a soothing pattering sound, and Hermione felt herself falling asleep.

It was then that something suddenly occurred to her.

She pulled away, looking into his eyes.

"You were there that night weren't you?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking down at her.

"That night, with the sword,"

The flashes of emotion across his face confirmed her accusation. She simply pressed her lips to his jaw and snuggled closer to him.

"Thank you, you don't know how helpful that was,"

"I wish you would tell me what was going on,"

"I know…soon, very soon,"

After a few moments, Severus sighed.

"We should go back downstairs, no doubt everyone is wondering where we are,"

Hermione pulled away from him, and shut the water as he climbed from the tub. Feeling incredibly tired, she stood and allowed him to lift her out and to the floor. A single flick of his wand and they were both dry. Severus replaced his teaching robes and smoothed them down. Hermione stepped forward and helped to readjust them, and Severus watched her face as she smiled at her work. She lifted her eyes to his, and sighed.

Over the past few months, she couldn't believe how much she had missed him. Hermione never again wanted to be away from him for that long again. She was very well aware of the fact that they would once again have to be separated; her work with Harry was far from complete.

Staring into his swimming dark eyes, Hermione wished she could just blurt her feelings out loud, but something was holding her back. She was absolutely in love with him; there was not a thing in the world that would make her question that. Hermione was afraid of after the war, would this last? Oh, the end of the war. Severus was sure he wouldn't be alive to see it, and Hermione instantly pushed that thought from her head.

Severus bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips, and Hermione communicated the fact that she missed him through that single touch. Pulling away, the two left the bathroom together, holding hands, until they reached the stairs. Reluctantly the two pulled apart, Hermione descending the stairs first, and Severus following closely behind.


	37. How we Are Different

**Hey everyone! **

**Thank you for all of the amazing reviews! Keep them coming!**

**I hope you enjoy, and I hope everyone has a great day!**

* * *

><p>Hermione sat at the table and had a small lunch, and Severus sat beside her with a cup of coffee. When she finished, Hermione grabbed his hand under the table, and he gave her a small squeeze in return. No one seemed any wiser to the action, and the two remained there, speaking to the rest of the table while gently drawing patterns on the other's skin with their thumbs.<p>

Hermione did know that Ron kept glancing at her, causing her to shift uncomfortably and turn her eyes away from him. Finally, Ron spoke up.

"Hermione, can you take a walk with me?" Ron asked as the sun began setting in the distance.

"Oh, well, I'm a little tired," Hermione said in a panic.

"Please? Only for a few minutes,"

Hermione reluctantly released Severus' hand and left the cottage with Ron. The two walked along the beach in silence.

"What's going on, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"There's something not right about you, ever since we decided to not go back to Hogwarts, even before then, but it's only gotten worse since then,"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You seem…depressed and…out of it. Until today,"

"Well, what's different about today?" Hermione snapped at him.

"Snape,"

Hermione stopped and looked at him.

"What about him?"

"Ever since he just happened to show up at Malfoy's when we were about to die, he's been glued to you. I don't like it, and I don't like the way you get so close to him. It makes me uncomfortable,"

"Ron, the man saved my life,"

"I don't see how that plays any role in this,"

"You try being tortured on a floor for an hour and see how grateful you are when someone saves you," she snapped.

"I don't see why he has to stick so close to you,"

Hermione yanked up her sleeve and let his eyes fall on her wound that had yet to be tended to.

"This is why. He's trying to help me Ron, so calm down,"

Hermione pulled her sleeve down and stormed back to the cottage. Fleur showed her to her room, and Severus entered a few moments later to sit in a chair beside her bed.

"I thought I could heal that for you," he said gesturing to her arm.

She revealed the injury, making sure to avoid looking at it. Severus began his work, and Hermione stared at the ceiling.

"What did Weasley want?" he asked casually.

Hermione looked at him for a moment before looking back to the ceiling.

"He doesn't like how close you get to me, or how you're always with me. He doesn't like how close I get to you, for that matter,"

Severus scoffed while bent over her arm.

"It's not funny! We're on the verge of getting caught here, and everything could be blown to hell,"

"Weasley won't open his mouth if he does find out,"

"No, but I still need to be on good terms with him until this war is over. How do you think him and I will work together if he knows we're married?"

"I don't see why that would affect the way you work together,"

"He's completely in love with me! That's how!"

"And how do you feel about him?"

Hermione glared at Severus, and saw that he was completely serious.

"I'm not even going to answer that question," she snapped, flinging her right arm across her eyes.

"You should probably sit him down and set him right,"

"I will, but not now,"

"I think that should do it," Severus said quietly.

Hermione turned her eyes to her arm and saw that her arm was nicely healed, but the letters could still be seen on her skin.

"I'm afraid the scarring will most likely remain. Dark magic cannot be fully reversed,"

Hermione pulled her sleeve back down and closed her eyes.

"How have things been at the school?" she asked.

"Fine,"

After a moment, Hermione opened her eyes to look at him.

"Fine? That's all?"

Severus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What else do you want to know?"

"How have the Carrows been?"

Severus rolled his eyes before leaning back in his chair.

"Out of everything to ask about, that's what you choose,"

"We tried listening to the radio while we were moving around, but we never heard anything,"

"They've been worse than ever, naturally. The more I put them in their place, the worse the punishment usually is,"

Hermione studied his face, seeing the dark shadow of guilt cover his features. Suddenly his eyes snapped to hers, as he became serious.

"I heard that you paid a visit to someone with questionable sanity,"

Hermione stared at him, trying to decipher his mood.

"I'm also aware that the house was then attacked and obliterated," he added while brushing lint from his robes.

"We had to go!" she immediately protested.

"To Lovegood? Nearly the entire wizarding world is out there watching for the three of you, and you go to _Lovegood?_"

"He had some information that we needed," she said turning her eyes away from his face.

"I'm sure there are other people who have the same information he does,"

"Well, he was the only option,"

"An option that nearly got you killed,"

"We got away,"

"Yes, away from the loon and straight into Snatchers," he snapped sarcastically.

"Well we're all still alive," Hermione snapped, warning him to back off.

"It's a good thing you can manage to think quicker than your two sidekicks. No doubt Potter and Weasley would have been dead and Greyback…"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Hermione muttered, turning on her side, giving him her back.

"Can you please try to control yourself when you're running around with Potter? Things are coming to a head out there, and the Dark Lord is anxious to have the three of you caught,"

"I'm not reckless; I'm just doing what needs to be done,"

"You are going to get yourself killed," Severus muttered in a serious tone.

"Well if I have to die in order to get Harry further in beating him, then I'm prepared to do that,"

Instantly Hermione was yanked onto her back and found Severus glaring fiercely at her.

"You absolutely will not do that," he said in his teacher voice.

"What's my life compared to killing that monster? I'll do whatever it takes to win this,"

Severus pulled away from her as if he had been burned and instantly moved to the window.

"I refuse to live in fear for the rest of my life," Hermione added, but saw his body tense at the sentence.

"I've lived in constantly fear for nearly twenty years, and you don't see me going around doing idiotic things,"

"You said yourself you didn't expect to live to see the end of the war!" Hermione snapped.

"That's because of the position I'm in! I'm a double spy; of course he's going to find out near the end, he has to! It's not because I'm being reckless!"

"Well I'm doing things because of the position _I'm_ in! I didn't just wake up that morning and thing to myself, "Oh, it would be a great idea to go see Mr. Lovegood for a nice chat,"! I went because I had to, _we_ had to! We've been moving for months because we have to, not because we want to! You left me in that graveyard because you had to, not because you wanted to," she added softly.

"You get yourself caught too often and that is how you are reckless. You give no thought of the repercussions of your actions. You broke into the Ministry because you apparently had to, yet you were almost killed in the process. You went to Lovegood's because you apparently had to, and you were almost crushed by that damn house. That is how we are different. I don't get caught. You do. I know the repercussions of my actions. If the Dark Lord knew about the sword, either that I had given it to Potter or that I had put a fake one in Bellatrix's vault, I would have been killed,"

"I'm sorry I'm not as stealthy as you are," Hermione snapped.

"Would you-" Severus began angrily until Bill entered the room.

"Severus, Fleur wants to know if she should set up a room for you," Bill asked.

Hermione turned her eyes away from his angry glare and once again showed him her back.

"No, I'll be leaving immediately," Severus snapped.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us," Bill said, apparently shaking his hand.

Hermione heard his robes whoosh out of the room as Bill closed the door softly behind him. The adrenaline was rushing through her veins still, and she wanted nothing more than to curse that man. Ron entered the room a few moments later and took up the chair Severus had occupied previously.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine," Hermione answered, not even turning over to look at him.

"I heard Snape yelling,"

Hermione felt her heart began to beat faster.

"What did you hear?" she asked.

"Nothing much, Bill was too busy trying to fix me up. That's why he came in. I'm guessing Snape was pretty angry?"

"He's just too stubborn for his own good," Hermione said with a sigh.

"He didn't say anything when he left, just slammed the door behind him,"

Hermione felt herself smirk at that. _Of course he did._

"Hermione…I think Snape…fancies you,"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," Hermione said, even though her mind was whirling.

"Seriously. I've been watching how he's been looking at you, and it's kind of creepy,"

"Ronald, I'm tired. I'm sorry, but I have a lot on my mind, I can't deal with your farfetched theories,"

There was a moment of silence, and Hermione sighed deeply.

"Do you want me to spend the night with you?" he asked.

"No, Ronald, I'd like to be alone,"

"I'll be down the hall,"

When the door closed behind him, Hermione buried her face in the pillow. She didn't have the strength to deal with all of this anymore. She just wanted to deal with the war, not her own personal problems. The only think she would handle was making sure Ron was none the wiser with her relationship with Severus.


	38. Simply Checking

**Hey everyone! So sorry this is late, I've been so busy...as I type this I'm about to be late to Art History haha**

**Do you think that we can reach 320 this week? I think we can! You guys are amazing!**

**Thanks for sticking with this, even though I'm basically always late!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next day, Hermione awoke early and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea. She found Harry pulling on his jacket with his wand out.<p>

"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.

"I was just going to take a walk to clear my head, I couldn't sleep. You look as if you could use one as well,"

Hermione pulled on her own jacket over her pajamas and followed Harry outside. The sun was just about to start coming up as the two trampled through the sand. Harry picked a spot and sat down, Hermione instantly sitting beside him.

"What now?" she asked, looking at the ocean slowly brushing across the sand.

"I want to talk to Mr. Ollivander when he wakes up. I want to know about the elder wand. Then, I want to get the goblin to give the sword of Gryffindor back, we still need it,"

"And then what?"

"Did you happen to notice how panicked Bellatrix was when she found the sword? She kept screaming about breaking into her vault. The sword means nothing to her,"

Hermione thought for a moment before looking at Harry, his messy black hair lifting gently in the breeze.

"You don't think…a horcrux in her vault? Why?"

"She's one of Voldemort's most loyal followers; he could ensure it would be safe with her,"

"Harry, do you have _any_ idea how impossible that is? We'd have to sneak into Gringotts,"

"I know,"

"And then break into her vault,"

"Well, we should be able to get in just fine,"

"How?" Hermione asked, seeing a burning fire in his eyes.

Harry reached into his jacket and pulled out a single vial, containing a single piece of frizzy hair.

"Harry…"

"I got if off of your jacket when you took it off yesterday,"

"It'll take nearly a month! We can't waste that much time!"

"Hermione, it's the only chance we've got at this point. We need to get into that vault, and unless Bellatrix herself goes in there, we haven't got a chance,"

"That's positively mad," Hermione said, staring at Harry.

"I know,"

"The odds that something could go wrong are…"

"Extremely high, but so is it with just about everything we do," Harry added with a smile.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at him. The two spent a while sitting in the sand, watching the sun rise, thinking about the upcoming task.

"I'll start the brewing today," Hermione said.

"I'll see if I can get Ron to ask Bill for the ingredients we need. We can't exactly go ourselves,"

When the sun had officially risen, Hermione and Harry reentered the house and began setting up a makeshift potions lab in her bedroom.

"Can you remember all of the directions?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I looked at those directions for a month, I nearly have them memorized,"

For the remainder of the day, Hermione and Harry locked themselves away, later joined by Ron, who thought the plan was outrageous, but understood nonetheless. Bill and Fleur often knocked on the door trying to get in to see what the three were up to, but they never opened the door unless the hallway was clear.

Harry and Ron spent most of their time talking with Ollivander and the goblin, and Hermione sensed Harry becoming increasingly frustrated with the goblin.

Severus hadn't returned to the house in nearly two weeks, and no one had heard anything from him. Bill often reassured her.

"Hermione, he has a whole school to run, he can't keep coming back here every day,"

Hermione knew that he was still angry at her for their fight and was blatantly ignoring her. The more she thought about him, the more she turned towards brewing in an effort to clear her mind of those thoughts, or any thoughts for that matter. Ron barely left her side when she brewed, and she found his hovering distracting. All he wanted to talk about was the fact he thought they were all going to be killed when the broke into Gringotts.

At breakfast one morning, there was a sudden pounding on the door, and Hermione jumped up, her heart pounding in her chest.

Suddenly, Remus burst into the room, his hair a mess and his eyes wild.

"He's here!" he said with a grin, waving something around.

Fleur rushed forward in a panic.

"Who?" she asked.

"Teddy Lupin," he said excitedly, thrusting the photo into her hands.

Fleur instantly hugged him, gushing about the baby's changing hair.

"Bloody hell, what are the three of you doing here?" he asked, seeing them standing in the doorway.

Hermione didn't say anything but ran forward to hug him. When they pulled apart he quickly looked over her.

"You're not hurt? You all are okay?" he asked peering at the other two.

"We're all fine, perfectly fine," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Good, everyone will be glad to hear it," he said smiling.

Soon, they were all crowded around the photo of the small boy whose hair changed color.

"Oh, he's perfect Remus," Hermione gushed.

"Harry, would you be his godfather?" Remus asked, staring at Harry with a smile on his face.

"Me? Err…I mean, yeah, I'd love to,"

Remus quickly hugged him, happier than Hermione could ever imagine. The rest of the day, Remus talked about Tonks and Teddy, looking as if he had gained ten years of his life back. The trio told Remus all that they could without revealing too much.

"Somehow Snape showed up at the Malfoy's just as things were getting bad," Harry said. "Bellatrix was torturing-"

"Harry, no one needs to know about that," Hermione said, cutting him off.

"What?" Remus asked looking between the two. His eyes settled on Hermione.

"Did she-?" he prompted.

"Hermione, show him your arm," Harry pushed.

Seeing the two looking at her so intently, Hermione pulled up her sleeve and allowed Remus to see her scar. His face paled and he suddenly looked sick.

"How?"

"A knife," Hermione answered quietly while pulling her sleeve back down.

"Good lord," Remus replied, rubbing his face.

"But Snape pretty much stalled them long enough so we could get out," Harry mentioned, looking slightly sad, obviously remembering Dobby.

"Snape?" Remus asked, his eyes flashing from Harry to Hermione, knowingly.

Hermione nodded her head once, knowing that he wanted to know if she had called him or not.

"We all are fine, except…we lost Dobby," Hermione finished.

"I'm sorry; I know how much he meant to all of you,"

The room fell silent as they all sat around, lost in their own thoughts. Harry left shortly after to check on the potion with Ron while Bill and Fleur went outside for a walk. Hermione and Remus remained quiet until the last of the footsteps died away.

"Where is Severus?" Remus asked quietly.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him in nearly three weeks," Hermione replied, taking a sip of her tea.

"Does anyone know about this?" he said gesturing to the ring.

"Ron has been mentioning how we…act around each other, but no, no one knows,"

"I'm glad he showed up when you called him, God only knows what could have happened if he didn't," Remus said, shaking his head.

"Has anyone from the Order seen him?" Hermione asked.

"No, not for a while. Anything he needs to tell us is usually communicated through Minerva…who I heard knows of this marriage now,"

"I thought it would be best that someone we could trust at Hogwarts knew what was going on, in case something happened to one of us,"

"I take it this was your idea?"

"Naturally, Severus is so determined to do everything himself. The idea that someone else could help him never crosses his mind,"

"He's always been a loner,"

Hermione remained silent as the two continued to drink their tea. Voices were heard outside, and Hermione felt herself stiffen. She'd know that voice anywhere, so when the door opened and black robes consumed the opening, she barely gave him a glance.

"Speak of the devil," Remus said standing.

Hermione remained staring into her cup. The men shook hands before Severus took a seat across from Remus. The awkward silence filled the room instantly.

"Remus came to tell us that he has a son," Hermione mentioned, barely glancing at Severus' face.

"Is that so?" Severus said with no emotion.

"Teddy Lupin," Remus replied, beaming while pushing the picture across the table at Severus.

Hermione watched as his thin fingers lifted the photo from the table and peered at it for a moment before handing it back to Remus.

"Congratulations," Severus said quietly.

"Thank you,"

After another moment, Remus spoke.

"So what brings you here?" he asked.

Hermione saw his eyes flicker to her for a moment.

"I was simply checking to see how Hermione's injury was fairing,"

Hermione couldn't help but scoff at him. His fiery eyes instantly locked on her face and she pushed her cup of tea away from her.

"It's fine, just like it was three weeks ago. I know why you're here, you're just checking up on me to see what we're planning to do next. I'm not going to tell you, we're not telling anyone,"

"You're brewing something, and you've been spending an extensive amount of time around it. I can smell it on you," he replied evenly.

Hermione simply stared at him, not giving in.

"So what if we're brewing something," she snapped finally.

"Something that takes over three weeks? Very few potions require that much time,"

"I am not telling you anything, so stop prying,"

"If you're doing something-"

"I know, you probably won't approve and say I'm stupid for being so reckless and purposely endangering my life,"

His eyes darted to the stairs for a moment, and Hermione was instantly on her feet, with her wand drawn.

"Hermione, put it down," Remus said, standing slowly.

"Don't even think about it," she said, staring at Severus who had a smirk on his face.

"I'm proud of you," he said keeping eye contact with her. "You've learned to be wary of everyone; it's about time you stopped being so damn naïve and accepting,"

Anger flashed through her instantly, and Remus immediately grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Hermione, don't,"

"I'm not being wary; I'm just making sure you don't try to interfere with what I'm doing. I don't have time to listen to you telling me I should stop being so idiotic,"

Hermione yanked her hand away from Remus, and headed to the stairs.

"Make sure you let the lacewing flies brew for the full twenty one days, or you'll have to start all over again,"

Hermione froze, with one foot on the stair and her hand gripping the railing. Slowly, she turned to him, her eyes wide. He turned towards her with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"The smell of Polyjuice Potion is unique, very recognizable to someone who works with different brews for a living,"

"Why do you need Polyjuice?" Remus asked.

"Oh, she won't tell you that Lupin. No doubt she's furious that I've figured this much out,"

"As long as you don't interfere, I don't care what you figure out,"

Hermione stormed upstairs, slamming and locking her bedroom door behind her.

"Who's down there?" Harry asked, sprawled out across her bed.

"Severus," she snapped, peering into the cauldron.

"What's he doing here?"

"Nothing," Hermione muttered, staring out of the window.

"He shouldn't be here, I should tell Bill to be careful to keep his mouth shut around him," Ron said defensively.

"Ronald, Severus is completely harmless,"

"Severus? Why do you keep calling him that?"

"Because, that's his name,"

"I've only heard Dumbledore and-"

"Ronald, please drop it,"

The rest of the day the three sat locked up in the room until they couldn't take in anymore.

"I need air," Harry said as the sun began setting.

"Me too," Ron said after waking up from his nap.

The three descended the stairs, after Hermione triple warded the room, and found Severus, Remus, Bill, and Fleur sitting around the table, looking uncomfortable.


	39. Take Care of Yourself

**Hey everyone! Look, I'm on time today!**

**I'm catching up with myself (what I'm posting to what I have written already), and it's making me nervous!**

**On a different note, check this out: nonn-xero-daemon. deviantart. com/art/Thank-You-Professor-294475998 **

**Made by NoNN, and it's awesome!**

**Keep the reviews coming! They're great!**

**I hope you all have a great day!**

* * *

><p>"What?" Ron asked when they paused at the bottom of the chair.<p>

Bill tossed a newspaper on the table in front of them, and the three stepped forward to see the headline. They all now had bounties on their heads, and anyone caught aiding them would be immediately killed. Everyone in the magical community would be after them.

"This is bad," Harry muttered.

"I can't say it's entirely surprising," Hermione muttered to him. "We escaped from the Malfoys; of course they'd be anxious to catch us,"

"That and Bellatrix knows that something is up," Ron added.

"Which would only put You-Know-Who on his guard, more than he already was," Hermione finished.

The three shared a few glances, knowing that their time was running short and security would be even tighter throughout their world.

Harry grabbed their arms and dragged them away from the four adults silently watching their exchange.

"Hermione, when is the potion going to be done?" Harry asked anxiously.

"A few more days, perhaps a week, it depends," Hermione said.

"We can't wait anymore,"

"I can't make this brew any faster Harry, unless you want to start from scratch. We're forced to wait, we don't have any other choice,"

"Well, what are we going to do in the meantime?" Ron asked.

"Go over our plans?" Harry offered.

"That's about the only thing we can do," Hermione replied with a sigh.

The three filed out of the house and walked across the beach before settling down in the sand. Harry talked them through their plans, making small sketches in the sand.

"I'm sure that Bill knows stuff about Gringotts," Ron offered.

"Yes, but asking him would be too dangerous. It's bad enough they know we're brewing Polyjuice upstairs," Hermione muttered.

"What?" Harry cried.

"Severus could smell it on me, and Remus was in the room,"

"Damn him," Ron growled.

Hermione lost count of how many times they had talked through the plans, trying to foresee any problems they may have.

"If we get caught in Gringotts, it's over," Harry said, looking between the two with a serious expression.

"Well then, we just won't get caught," Hermione said, trying to hide her own doubts.

The three remained on the beach long after the temperature dropped and the sun set. Hermione could physically feel the weight of their task pressing down on them every second. Finally, when Bill called for them, they shuffled their way back to the house.

"We've put Bill and Fleur in danger," Harry mentioned.

"They're willing to help us out, they know we have good intentions," Ron said as he climbed over a rock.

"We're going to have to disappear after this," Hermione added. "We're going to have to become untraceable again,"

"Well, let's enjoy it while it lasts," Ron mumbled.

The three casually approached the house just as Remus and Severus walked out.

"We're heading off now," Remus said, wrapping his robes tightly around his frail form, trying to protect himself from the cold temperature.

Hermione instantly hugged him, closing her eyes with a sigh. She knew that the odds of seeing him again anytime soon would be slim to none. Remus hugged her back, seeming to sense the same thing. When they separated, Hermione could feel the tears in her eyes building up.

"Take care of yourself, okay? Especially after your transformations. Make sure you eat properly to keep your strength up. You're going to need it for that little boy," Hermione said.

"I'm not a child, I know how to take care of myself," he muttered with a smile before hugging her again.

Hermione stepped off to the side as Remus said goodbye to the boys and quickly shook Severus' hand. The four watched Remus walk off into the distance and then Apparate.

Harry and Ron barley acknowledged Severus' presence before reentering the house. Severus took this moment to begin heading towards the spot Remus disappeared from. Hermione watched him for a moment before following him.

"You're not going to say anything?" she asked quietly.

Severus stopped, but didn't turn to face her.

"What would you like me to say?" he answered harshly.

"Goodbye. Anything before you just disappear again,"

Severus remained silent, with his back turned to her. Hermione walked up to him and stood beside him, taking in his facial features. She knew he was forcing his façade up, keeping her out and himself inside.

"I have somewhere to be," he muttered before he began walking again.

"Severus," Hermione said following him again.

She kept glancing up, seeing that he was still taking powerful strides to reach the edge of the enchantments.

"This is how you're going to leave things? What if something happens to one of us, and this is the last memory we have?"

Severus stopped short and turned on her, nearly causing Hermione to crash into his chest. His fiery eyes flashed at her, and Hermione suddenly forgot what she was trying to say to him.

"Why are you so damn stubborn?" he hissed.

"Gryffindor trait," she answered instantly, failing to come up with something better.

Hermione watched his black hair gently lifting in the breeze and heard his black robes whipping against his legs.

"Why do you insist on dangling small bits of information in front of me and then snap when I question you further? You always hint at what you're doing, always giving off the impression that what you're doing is dangerous, yet I suffer when I tell you to not be reckless. I do not want to idly stand by and watch you throw your life away!"

Hermione took a step back from his outburst, knowing she must look like a deer caught in headlights to him.

"I'm just trying…trying to help-"

"Wonderboy, I know. You don't have to tell me again that you're purpose is noble,"

"I'm sorry, I don't want – I didn't mean to…"

"It doesn't matter," he cut her off quickly.

The two stood awkwardly for a moment before he sighed.

"I have to leave,"

Hermione lifted her eyes to his face and met his gaze evenly. She knew his desire to reach out to her because she had the same desire to touch him. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she eyes him closely.

"Is there anyone watching us?" she asked him.

His eyes darted from her face and quickly to the house behind her. She watched as his eyes flickered across the exterior before settling back on her face.

"No, there's no one there,"

Hermione instantly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist pressing her cheek against the material of his robes. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze of the ocean brushing against their skin. A moment later, Hermione felt Severus' arms wrap around her body, drawing her closer to him. His hand gently touched her hair, and she sighed.

"Be careful, I know things are going to get worse for you after this," she mumbled against his chest.

"I can handle myself," he muttered.

After a moment, Hermione pulled away, afraid of being caught. Severus allowed his arms to drop to his side limply. She took a step back and smiled at him.

"Bye," she said gently, feeling her emotions well up.

For a moment, his eyes left her face to peer behind her before immediately settling back on her own.

"There isn't anyone looking yet,"

Before Hermione could process the words, he was drawing her back into his arms, and lowering his mouth to hers. Instantly Hermione lifted herself onto her toes to meet his lips. They applied the gentlest pressure to the other's lips, and Hermione enjoyed this kiss more than any other they shared.

This one was tender and not rushed; they were simply sharing a small moment with one another without the world barging in on them. This wasn't a hasty encounter, no, the two were basking in one another's presence allowing their emotions a chance to break through their façades.

Slowly Severus pulled away from her, and Hermione slowly peeled her eyes opened to see him almost…tenderly looking down at her.

"Severus, I-"

Her lips were suddenly covered with his own again, this time in an effort to silence the words that were attempting to break free in the moment of her vulnerability. They both knew the words that were about to fall from her lips, and Hermione knew that he wasn't ready to hear them or deal with them. Severus had just started to become comfortable with their relationship, though nothing was set in stone. Everything was so open; the only solid thing was the marriage license he kept on his desk. In a small instant, he could decide that he didn't want this anymore, and simply deal with her because he had to, not because he wanted to.

Severus pulled away from her, and instantly dropped his arms from around her. Hermione studied him closely, trying to figure him out.

What did _he_ want? Did he want this relationship after the war was over, granted they both lived. Was he willing to carry on what they had already made, or was this just convenient for him? Was he just attached to her because he never had someone to share his secret with? Did he just want her as a companion through the war, but nothing else? What was going to happen when the war was over?

"Take care of yourself," he muttered before turning and quickly walking away.

Hermione sighed and began to head back to the house, her head in the clouds, filled with thoughts of Severus.

That night, Hermione spent most of her time bent over the cauldron, making sure that everything was going fine. They couldn't afford to have a slipup now. Everything rested on this single potion. If they were delayed anymore, Voldemort would catch on and it would all be over for them.

Hermione turned at a sudden sound in the room. Ron was snoring into a pillow with his limbs spread every which way. She dropped her head into her hands.

What was she going to do with him? He was slowly catching on to her and Severus, and if he found out, he was going to flip. Hermione couldn't afford Ron's hatred at such a critical moment. They all had to stick together, until the very end.

Hermione fell asleep beside Harry, forcing her mind to clear and her muscles to relax.


	40. The Astronomy Tower

**Hey everyone! Sorry this is late, I've been super busy, which brings me to my next point.**

**_THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT:_The next update will not be until MAY 8th. If I can, I'll aim for May 1st. These next two weeks I have a lot of work to do, including studying for finals, and I can't spare any time. I hope you guys understand.**

**In the mean time, I hope you all review to keep me motivated for the next two weeks.**

**Thanks everyone, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Severus sat down near his fireplace, sighing deeply. She was going to be the death of him, not this war, no, he could handle the war. Hermione on the other hand, that was a completely different story.<p>

His head was spinning as he ran through the day again. Hermione obviously was angry at him for being so nosy, but what did she expect? How could he not try and find out what she was doing when she dangled her secret directly in front of his nose?

Polyjuice? Why one Earth would the three of them need Polyjuice?

His mind darted back and for the between possibilities, tossing each idea away as fast as it came to him. The one thing that he was sure of was that whatever it was, it was most likely dangerous, and that the three of them would most likely be killed.

But _what_ were they up to? Why did they need to disguise themselves? Severus knew the thought would keep him up every night until he knew why they needed it.

Perhaps he could just sneak back to Shell Cottage and destroy it? Then she'd have to stay there for another month to brew, out of harm's way, in the capable hands of Bill Weasley.

Hermione could handle herself, Severus was sure of that, but when it came to those two friends of hers, she suddenly felt it necessary to act the almighty savior. That woman would do anything for those two idiots.

Severus allowed his mind to wander back to that day in Malfoy Manor. He had been standing on the Astronomy Tower, like he did most days, thinking. He was thinking about the Dark Lord, and how demanding he was getting about Hermione. He wanted information, but Severus insisted that he didn't know where she was and that she would only return when she had enough information to ensure the Dark Lord's victory. The thought made him sick: the Dark Lord winning the war. Weeks went by, without a single hint to where the Golden Trio was, or would be going. They had vanished, despite the constant search for them. Severus nearly lost his mind in those weeks. He had no idea if she was in trouble, let alone still alive.

But as he stood on the Astronomy Tower, his mind drifting away, there was suddenly a burning on his finger. He tried to jerk away, but he realized the burning was _on_ his finger. His ring. Without a second thought, Severus Apparated.

When he came face to face with the gates of Malfoy Manor, Severus could feel his heart drop to his stomach. Instantly, he threw them open and darted to the front door. When he threw the door open, he could hear a flurry of movement in the room he usually sat in for meetings. In a flash, Severus was running up the stairs.

The door was left open, and Severus had no trouble seeing what was happening inside. Bellatrix was standing, a knife in her hand, pressed to Hermione's neck. One small movement and Hermione would be dead. Bellatrix was on the edge, Severus had seen that look before, and knew he had to distract her.

Making his entrance, Severus talked Lucius out of calling the Dark Lord, Bellatrix quickly losing her mind. As Severus talked, he walked around the group, casually positioning himself between Wonderboy and Hermione. His eyes kept darting from the knife to Bellatrix, but before he could make a move, the chandelier came crashing down.

Bellatrix's self-preservation kicked in, causing her to shove Hermione directly into his arms. Immediately Severus wrapped his arms around her, keeping her on her feet and held tightly to his form.

He could still remember the look on her face when her eyes met his. They were glazed over in shock for just a second before they flashed in relief. Her skin was white and her cheeks were slightly shallow, most likely from malnutrition. Instantly he noticed the blood running from beneath her sleeve and dripping onto the sand, but she was clinging to him a moment later, shaking and crying, and he could do nothing but hold her.

Severus closed his eyes when he held her for the first time in months. Finally, he knew she was safe.

Blinking, Severus peered around his chambers. Hogwarts hadn't been welcoming since the day he left her in the graveyard. Everything was reminding him of that moment, the moment when he had left her in the world to fend for herself. The guilt that came with that thought was nearly crushing. If anything happened to her, it would be on his conscious.

The suffocating rooms of his chamber caused him to fling himself out of his chair and straight out of the portrait. His feet knew where to go, and he allowed them to take him.

The second the cool night air struck his face, Severus released a breath he didn't notice he had been holding. Wrapping his slender fingers around the railings, Severus allowed his mind to drift away from the Astronomy Tower and to a pair of dark brown eyes that were incredibly innocent.

Severus knew things were coming to an end. The Dark Lord was becoming erratic, killing with little provocation and becoming more suspicious of everything. Whatever Potter was doing, the Dark Lord was scared. He was like a cornered animal now. Severus was afraid for the next meeting. Even he, the Dark Lord's most trusted man, was certain his fate was drawing closer and closer by each passing day.

His thoughts instantly turned to Hermione. Severus knew he would die at the end of this war. He was fighting for good, yet they despised him, seeing him as a traitor. The dark side was suspicious of everyone, but more so when it came to him. He was the right-hand man of Dumbledore until the day he died.

Bellatrix, more than anyone else, suspected his loyalties strayed from the Dark Lord. She had never trusted him, and the minutes she found that he was no longer available to her, she had lost her mind. Everything he did she watched with a critical eye, no doubt spilling every detail of his life to the Dark Lord, but Severus knew how to counter these attacks against his person. Bellatrix knew that she was not achieving the degree of torture she wished Severus to feel, so when Hermione had been taken straight to her lair, it must have been like Christmas for that woman. That poor innocent woman was the key to releasing her anger against him.

Severus closed his eyes and released a shuttering breath. Her skin was so pale on the beach, the sunlight making her seem nearly translucent. Even the strongest of people suffer when exposed to that degree of torture, but he could only imagine what she felt, already so weakened from lack of nutrition while on the run.

Several times in Hermione's presence, Severus wanted to slip into her memories and pull that one forward so he could see precisely what happened before he had gotten there. He knew her shields wouldn't be up around him, and even if they were, they would be considerably weaker than they were before she left. It was a double edged sword; part of him wanted to see what she had to go through, but another part of him didn't think he could handle seeing her broken body on the dusty wooden floor, utterly consumed with pain.

His mind skipped ahead to the events outside of Shell Cottage. He had kissed her, and she had begun to speak, but he quickly silenced her. He couldn't even begin to think of the words that were swirling on her tongue, threatening to tear him down, once and for all. He needed to cling to a small shred of his dignity and former self to see this through to the end, and he could not have a handful of words from her lips destroy what he had worked towards for nearly twenty years.

Lily Potter suddenly slithered into his thoughts, and Severus smiled to himself. Yes, she was a Potter, not Evans. She loved Potter, more than anything in the world, Severus knew that now. Her brilliant red hair and piercing green eyes seemed to be dulled in his memory now. No longer did she ensnare his senses and wrap him in a cage consisting solely of his guilt. Severus knew that he could now miss her as a dear friend, rather than the love of his life that had left him cold and bitter. She had every right to disown him, he knew, and he respected that. He had watched Lily find true happiness, get married, and have a child, a child that was so much like her. Those eyes. Every day in Potions he was forced to see those eyes, causing him to project his guilt towards the innocent boy who looked so much like his father. Granted, Potter may have had his father's looks, but he had won the brilliant eyes of his mother, along with the fierce desire to make sure justice was served and people were safe. Lily was protective of her friends, much like Potter was.

Through the years, Severus watched over Harry, not only because Dumbledore asked him to, but because he felt as if he owed something to that beautiful woman whose death he had caused.

In Potter's first year, he remembered standing in the Hospital Wing with Granger and Weasley, standing at the foot of Potter's bed, chattering on and on about how they had gotten past the various charms that were put there to protect the Sorcerer's Stone. Of course Hermione had gotten past most of the spells. Severus remembered looking at Potter, scratched and breathing deeply. He had gained his passion from his mother and his reckless abandon from his father.

Potter once again proved himself when he found the Chamber of Secrets and once against defeated Voldemort while saving Miss Weasley. As the years passed, and Potter revealed more of his father, Severus turned his anger against the boy. When the chance to come to turn Black over to the Dementors, Severus jumped on it. To this day, Severus was sure that the three had helped Black escape. The damn twinkle in Dumbledore's eye practically screamed the truth.

In Harry's fourth year, he had been forced into the Triwizard Tournament, and Severus remembered telling Dumbledore that Potter should be forced to compete, offering the explanation that his cooperation could help unveil the mastermind behind the odd events occurring. Severus made the suggestion after becoming furious that Potter, once again, had managed to become part of the spotlight, much like his bloody father would have done. Severus would never admit out loud, but through each event, he waited, in case Potter became caught in serious and potentially deadly trouble. He wouldn't hesitate a second to save him, and part of him hated himself for that. Severus was about the worst poster child for Slytherin's that could be imagined.

When Potter gave him the secret message in Umbridge's office that day, immediately Severus dispatched it to the Order. Severus could still remember the sheer panic and fear in Potter's eyes as Severus told him he had no idea what he was talking about. Severus may not have been friends with Potter's gang, but the entire school knew the crew had ridiculous nicknames for each other. That day, Severus could only sit in his office while the Order saved the day, once again. Dumbledore constantly told Severus to keep away, but he wanted to be in the thick of the fight, doing something proactive, rather than having other people fight for him.

Black had died that day. Potter was devastated. Severus remembered feeling a slight bit of remorse from him. He had lost everything that he called a family. Things changed that year. You could feel it in the air. Severus knew he would have to be more careful than ever before. Little did he know how much more careful he would have to be, considering he now had another human being to look after.

Blinking a few times, Severus noticed the stiffness in his fingers from clutching the railing so tightly. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his robes tighter around his body and descended the stairs to return to the dungeons for a much needed rest.

A few days slipped by, and Severus was unable to leave the school and visit Shell Cottage. If he did slip away, no doubt someone would notice. He felt like he was constantly dealing with a stream of the Carrow's trying to punish children, which Severus brushed off with no more than a roll of his eyes.

"The Dark Lord put these rules into effect, Severus! You must obey them!" Amycus shouted one afternoon.

Severus gently fingered the edge of a paper on his desk, his thoughts straying to Shell Cottage. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right, but he was sure that Bill would have contacted him if something had gone wrong.

"You've gone soft!" Amycus ended with a roar.

Severus was instantly on his feet, a curse rolling off his tongue faster than Amycus could breathe in to start another slew of insults. The man flew through the air and smashed into the door before falling to the ground.

"You will address me as Headmaster here, Amycus. I suggest you do not tell me how to run my school again, or I swear, it will be one of the last things you will do. If I do not meet the Dark Lord's requirements, then the fault is mine, and I shall deal with the consequences as he sees fit. Now get out of my sight,"

The door to his office suddenly opened, revealing Minerva standing in her perfect emerald robes, as always. Her eyes immediately found the man still sprawled on the floor and barely gave him a second glance before stepping over him and approaching the desk. Amycus slowly climbed to his feet, clearly beyond furious. Severus saw the twitch in his hand as he consciously made the decision to curse Severus. Immediately Severus disarmed him.

"One more time, Amycus, and I will hand you over to the Dark Lord to explain how you are questioning his decisions regarding my position,"

With a growl and a flourish of robes, the man stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him. Severus sank back into his chair, rubbing his temples. For the moment, he was ignoring Minerva's presence. He couldn't deal with another one of her stories of finding a first year crying in the hallways.

"Go," her soft voice said.

"Pardon?" Severus said, not paying attention to her.

"You don't belong here. You are clearly distracted and knowing your temper, another encounter with the Carrows is going to get you killed,"

"Where do you suppose I go, Minerva?"

"You already know the answer to that," she said, giving him a small smile and heading towards the door.

"Why did you really come in here?" he asked as she reached the door.

"Oh, no reason," she said, straightening out some books that were disturbed from Amycus' fall, and giving him a smirk.

Severus shook his head and turned his eyes to the windows, seeing the sun lowering itself in the sky. Not five minutes had passed before he was pulling his traveling cloak on and dashing to the Astronomy Tower. Without so much as a pause while dashing towards the railings, Severus Apparated to Shell Cottage.


	41. Aberforth

**Hey everyone! So, I am now done with school!**

**I want to thank you all for sticking with this, I know how everyone has been waiting for an update and I've been working my face off! You guys have been absolutely wonderful with this.**

**But, we are back to updates every Tuesday! **

**Keep the reviews coming!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The perimeter they had set up around the house prevented Severus from appearing directly in front of the cottage, so he was forced to stumble over jagged rocks and then trudge through the heavy sand. He enjoyed the fact that the sun was still fairly high in the sky here. Finally, the door was close. Tugging his robes around himself to prevent the chilly sea breeze, Severus knocked on the door.<p>

Bill answered, with a smile, ushering him inside the house. Severus took his usual seat, thanking Bill's wife for the tea she so willingly prepared for him each time he visited. Severus allowed Bill to make small talk for a while before he asked about the three. A sudden nervousness came over his features.

"They've been up there all day; we've barely heard a peep out of them. Their lunch is still near the door, completely untouched,"

"Isn't that how they usually spend their days?" Severus asked casually.

"Yes, but this time…I think their ready,"

Severus immediately snapped his eyes to Bill's face. He was obviously worried, his wife too. Severus lifted his eyes to the staircase, seeming more menacing now than he could ever remember it appearing.

"Have you tried to get in?" Severus asked, not looking at Bill.

"Yes, but Hermione's wards…"

Of course. She most likely designed her own, designing wards wasn't a particularly hard process, and if she designed them, they'd be positively brilliant. Rising from his seat, Severus immediately headed up the stairs and to the locked door. Sure enough, there were three sandwiches on a plate, completely untouched. The light in the room was off.

Tapping his wand against the door, Severus received an intense shock. Besides the small amount of pain he experienced, Severus smiled, knowing that he had used the same ward on her so many months ago when he wanted to stop her visits to his classroom.

His mind working viciously, he spent twenty minutes working through the intricately woven wards put on the room until finally, there were no more.

Slowly, he turned the loose handle of the door, and pushed it open. As the door swung open, Severus was hit with the potent smell of smoke and Polyjuice Potion. A simple wave of his wand, and the room was illuminated. His blood ran cold.

The room was empty.

Instantly he was dashing down the stairs, placing his façade in place in an effort to calm his frantic thoughts. They were gone. _She_ was gone. Where? When? Why?

Bursting into the kitchen, Severus immediately relayed the news.

"What? That's not possible!" Bill cried, darting up the stairs himself.

He returned a moment later, eyes wide and face pale.

"When do you think they left?" Bill asked his wife, as if she would know.

She simply shook her head, as pale as her husband. Severus could feel the panic welling in his chest, and he was about to explode when an old man suddenly began making his way down the stairs.

"Ollivander, you can't be moving yet," Bill protested, but the man paid no attention.

His eyes were locked onto Severus.

"An hour or so ago, I heard noise and peered from my window. They were sliding off of the roof, walking to the edge of the enchantments. From there, they vanished,"

"Where did they go?" Severus asked instantly.

"I don't know, but they took the goblin with them. Two men and a woman, with a striking resemblance to that woman in that house you took us from,"

"What did she look like!" Severus snapped.

"Wild hair and black robes that were torn in places. She was wearing these shoes that she kept stumbling over rocks with,"

"Oh, bloody hell," Severus moaned as he grappled for a chair before his legs gave out.

His head was spinning as the pieces began to fall into place for him. Images flashed into his head. The rotting teeth. The wild, untamed hair. The unkempt robes. The clicking of the boots on the wooden floor of Malfoy Manor.

"Who is it?" Bill asked.

"Hermione," Severus choked out.

"But…she doesn't-"

"They were brewing Polyjuice Potion!"

"She looks like someone else? But who?"

"Bellatrix. Bellatrix Lestrange,"

Everyone else sank into different seats, gazing at Severus, waiting for him to give them some direction or instructions.

"Why would she need to look like her?"

Severus shook his head, feeling as if he was about to be sick. She was going to be killed. One does not impersonate the most cruel and brutal witch of the day and get away with it.

Why did she need to look like _her?_

Severus would soon have his question answered.

Not being able to deal with Bill and his wife asking him questions he did not know the answer to, Severus Apparated, but not back to Hogwarts, but his childhood home. He needed a moment to gather himself.

The silence of the house seemed to be crushing him. Severus didn't know what to do, so he took to pacing the entire house. He entered each room before exiting seconds later. He could feel himself finally losing it. It had taken twenty years to build himself up, and this woman managed to tear him down in a little over a year.

What were they up to? Things were too dangerous, there were too many people looking for them. One wrong move, and they would all be dead, and Voldemort would take over their world. Nothing would be the same again.

When Severus reached his bedroom, he did not enter the room. His eyes remained locked on the bed as his memories came rushing back.

She had to know that he loved her, he just couldn't say it to her, and he certainly couldn't hear her say it to him. He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve someone like her. She could do something amazing with her life, and he was simply holding her back. She had her entire life to live, and he had already lived his. He couldn't have her hung up on him.

Slamming the door closed, Severus immediately exited the house and Apparated back to Hogwarts. He wanted solitude in his own room, but she was everywhere. Her and that damn cat who followed him everywhere since she had gone.

Like he always did, Crookshanks darted to him as he entered the room. Severus ignored him and took a spot on the couch, leaning back with a tired sigh. Of course the cat was not going to take no for an answer and immediately took his spot on Severus' lap, purring contently.

Severus stroked the cat, staring at the smoldering embers in the fireplace.

Everything was about to end. He could feel it. Without wanting to, Severus fell asleep on the couch, with Crookshanks curled up against his side.

The next morning, Severus awoke with the sound of a frenzy above him. In a panic, he quickly got ready and left his chambers. His heart was in his throat. Before he could reach the Great Hall, Minerva caught him.

"I believe we should go to your office," she said with a folded paper in her hands.

For once, Severus did not object to her giving orders. He morosely followed her and when they entered the room, Severus took his spot behind the desk with a deep sigh. His eyes immediately searched Minerva's face, and she avoided his gaze as if it were the plague.

"Minerva?"

She walked to the window, her hands pale and her face drawn.

"Have you seen the paper today?" she asked.

"No, I just got out of bed," he said, becoming agitated.

She turned on her heel, approached his desk and then handed him the paper which had slightly crinkled in her hands. Severus took the paper and smoothed it out on the surface of his desk. The picture was of a destroyed rooftop, but Severus didn't understand the meaning, and was about to ask Minerva until his eyes caught the screaming headline.

**UNDESIERABLE #1 BREAKS INTO GRINGOTTS**

Potter. And wherever Potter was…

"Oh, God," Severus moaned as he greedily snatched the paper and scanned the article closely.

Once he was satisfied, he threw the paper aside and began furiously pacing his office. It was all making sense now, everything. The Polyjuice potion, the secrecy, the fact that she looked like Bellatrix. The three morons had broken into Gringotts with the goblin to rob Bellatrix. What did they need?

What if she was hurt? Where would they be now? Were they followed? Was she in trouble at this very moment? Severus glanced down at his ring. She hadn't called him, but perhaps she didn't need to? Maybe she was safe?

"Severus, it is time," Dumbledore said.

Severus glared at the old man for interrupting his thoughts.

"Go and tell my brother he should be expecting three guests tonight,"

"What?" Severus asked with his face filled with shock.

"Oh, I have no doubt the three will come here next, and we need to make sure that they are able to make it through the enchantments that are set in Hogsmeade,"

"Albus, they wouldn't," Severus said.

"I'm afraid so. I've had an inkling they would be here for a few months now,"

"MONTHS? You've known this for months!" Severus roared.

"Well I haven't been positive, but many things pointed at it,"

Severus threw his hands up in exasperation and turned his back on the portrait. How could he have known this whole time and not say anything?

"Minerva, I think you should alert your students that they should be ready to evacuate,"

"Evacuate? Albus, you know as well as I that they won't abandon Potter,"

"Then I suggest that you inform them of what they will be expecting,"

Minerva nodded once and quickly left the room, looking more severe than Severus could remember her ever looking. The silence permeated the room and Severus took a seat, unable to support himself anymore. His heart was pounding in his chest and his heavy breathing was ringing in his ears.

"Severus, you must go immediately,"

Without saying a word, Severus slid on his travel robes and swiftly left the room. He could Apparate, he knew he could, but he needed the physical motion to stop himself from going crazy. As he made his way through the halls, the children moved away from him, whispering under their breath. Severus rarely moved through the school during the day. For once, Severus didn't care that nearly the entire school thought he was a freak, his mind was elsewhere.

In a moment he was striding towards the gate. He knew that Albus' brother most likely hated him. Those two weren't on good terms, so Severus had little to no chance to get through to him. Perhaps he could cut the three off on their way here and send them away? Severus knew that if she was set on something, there would be no changing her mind.

With a wave of his wand, the wards dropped from the gates and they easily swung open. A moment later, he was strolling down the secluded path that leads to Hogsmeade. He kept his hood up and his eyes down, silently gliding along to his destination.

When he entered the town, it was nearly deserted. An icy chill crept up on him, and he immediately spun on his heel, casting his Patronus. Though his Patronus wasn't the doe he was so used to see. It was as if his Patronus couldn't make up its mind on what it wanted to be. The Dementor darted away, but Severus still stood there, staring after it.

"What are you doing here, Snape?"

Severus turned on his heel to find Dolohov standing in the shadows. Without saying a word, Severus walked away.

"Oh, are you too high and mighty to associate with people like us?" Dolohov sneered.

"Go back to being a watch dog, Dolohov," Severus snapped over his shoulder.

The frantic movement behind him told Severus Dolohov was about to attack him. Getting angry that he was being interrupted, Severus instantly turned around and cast a powerful curse, sending Dolohov sailing through the air.

In a sweep of his robes, Severus returned to the task at hand, drifting between buildings until he reached the dilapidated pub at the end of the town. Severus gave three sharp knocks, and waited. Silence filled the air and after a moment, Severus went to knock again, but a sudden rustle from inside stopped him. Heavy footfalls and clattering bottle followed before the door was wretched open.

"I'm sick of you Death Eaters knocking at my door when I'm closed!"

Severus lifted his head, just enough to meet Aberforth's eyes. The man withdrew slightly, but kept his gaze lock on Severus.

"Oh, it's you," he said in a slightly disgusted tone.

Severus remained silent, and the two continued to look at one another. Finally, Aberforth sighed, and stepped aside.

"Well, come in,"

Severus stepped inside the dusty pub, taking note of all the cobwebs and grubby bottles lying around. Aberforth took a seat on a stool and bent over an old ledger he abandoned when he answered the door. Severus watched him a moment, before peering around for any other people.

"Are you alone?" Severus asked.

"I'm closed," the man barked before scratching the parchment with his quill.

"I've been sent to inform you that you should be expecting company today,"

The man stopped writing, but did not turn to face Severus.

"I hope it isn't any of your kind,"

"No,"

"How many?"

"Three,"

Severus saw that the man understood almost immediately.

"I'll make sure that your pub is left alone and not searched tonight. I'll have Minerva's students make a distraction so they can hide here,"

"And from there?" Aberforth asked.

"That, I do not know,"

Aberforth sat up straight and turned to look at Severus. They two both knew that the idea of the three of them coming to Hogwarts was absolutely insane. A sudden tension formed in the room, and Severus felt his heart rate increase.

"It's coming to the end, isn't it?" Aberforth whispered.

"I believe so,"

After another moment, Severus turned away and left the pub. The end was coming; Severus could feel it in his bones and in the air.

Severus quickly made his way back to Hogwarts, but before he could make it, black smoke suddenly engulfed him. Panicked, he stumbled away and quickly collected himself. When he turned around, he found the Dark Lord darting towards him.


	42. Security Issue

**Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late; my computer hasn't been working for a little over a week, but we're good now!**

**Once again, thank you for all of the great support.**

**Lets try and reach 360? Ok? We're coming down to the end here, and I want this story, when its finished to have 400+ reviews, and I know that you all can do it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Where were you!" he hissed into his face.<p>

"Speaking to the old man that the guards have been having trouble with," Severus replied instantly.

"You are not to leave that school, EVER! Do I make myself clear!"

"Yes, my Lord,"

"Now return and make sure no one goes in and no one leaves! If there is a breach, I am to know immediately!"

In a burst of smoke, he was gone, leaving Severus standing alone. Severus was stunned. The Dark Lord was pale and panicked. Something was going dreadfully wrong, and he was falling apart. Never had Severus seen him so anxious before. Without waiting another moment, Severus Apparated back to Hogwarts.

Classes were in session, leaving the halls relatively empty. Severus darted to his office, and immediately began pacing back and forth.

"Did you speak with my brother?" Albus asked.

"Yes," Severus answered shortly.

"And?"

"Everything is in order," he snapped back.

"Inform Minerva of the events that will occur tonight, prepare the students, perhaps you can do something to hinder the Carrows?"

"I can only do so much, Albus,"

"You need to be prepared for tonight, no matter what happens,"

Severus looked at the portrait. He was well aware that Albus wasn't talking about preparing for his own death, but for another's.

"I refuse to even consider that," Severus growled, turning away.

"Severus, it is possible that Hermione may be injured at the end of this war. She is recognizable and being searched for by nearly every wizard in the world. She is key to Harry's success, and many know that,"

"I do not want to discuss this!" Severus yelled, slamming his fist onto the desk.

"Very well,"

Severus remained locked in the office, pacing back and forth, waiting for the sun to set. Many people knocked on his door those hours he was locked away, and he never once answered them.

Eventually, Severus was sprawled out across the couch in the living area, slowly drifting away, allowing his breath to slow. He let his mind wander. Severus really wanted a large book to read in front of a fire, having the glowing embers the only light source in the room. He'd just sit there for hours, letting the time slip by while his mind processed the information written on the worn pages.

A sudden screech filled the air. The alarm!

Severus jumped up and darted to the window. There was a small amount of light left in the sky, but Severus could not see anything. Immediately he cast his undistinguishable Patronus to Minerva. About a minute later, large bangs could be heard. No doubt it was the students wreaking havoc on the small town in order to distract the Death Eaters.

Severus swept from the room, forcing himself to become the man everyone saw him to be. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, two Death Eaters burst through the front doors.

"Potter…in Hogsmeade…" one gasped, clutching their chest.

"Very well, go," Severus said, heading into the Great Hall.

Severus took his place in the front of the room and then ordered all of the Heads of Houses to bring their students down. He stood by the window, taking deep calming breaths.

When he turned around, he was met with hundreds of silent students, standing in lines just like the Carrows ordered. The two took their usual spots behind him as Severus slowly paced the room.

"I am sure that each of you are aware that there has been a breach in Hogsmeade. Harry Potter is somewhere in the area. Anyone, student or staff, caught aiding him in anyway will suffer the consequences. Those who turn him over, will be rewarded,"

The room was silent, and Severus continued to walk between the students. No one met his eyes, no one usually did.

"Now, does anyone have any information of Harry Potter's whereabouts? I suggest they step forward. Now,"

The room was still, and Severus waited. In another moment, a figure stepped into the aisle. Gasps filled the room as Severus locked eyes with Harry Potter himself.

"Despite your exhaustive measures, Headmaster, you have a rather large security issue,"

The doors to the Great Hall opened, and the entire order stepped in, wands drawn and ready for battle. Standing next to Remus, was _her._ His eyes immediately locked on hers. Potter was shouting at him, but he couldn't hear any of it. Her eyes were wide and locked on his, her hand with her wand resting at her side. Her hair was a mess and her face had dirt on it, but she was still beautiful.

Severus pulled his wand out, and pointed it at Potter, with no intension to use it. Minerva jumped in the way, guarding him. The two locked eyes; Severus didn't know what to do. A subtle nod of Minerva's head gave him his answer.

She fired a curse at him, giving him more than enough time to block it. Again she fired a curse, making sure he was ready to block it. This time, he split the curse in two, taking the Carrows out. Another curse was thrown at him and Severus gave Minerva a small smirk before exploding out of the windows and into the night.

* * *

><p>Hermione watched as Severus darted from the window, having Minerva scream after him. Harry was speaking to Minerva, and Hermione searched for someone, anyone to answer her questions. She needed to see him.<p>

Darting forward, Hermione touched Minerva's elbow to get her attention.

"Where is he? Where did he go?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I have no idea," Minerva said sadly. "I wish he could stay, but I was afraid he would give himself away,"

Before Hermione could say another word, people began screaming. Everyone turned towards the sound and a minute later, a cold sharp voice pierced the air.

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight,"

The room was silent for a moment, before Pansy began screeching at someone to take Harry. Instantly Hermione and Ginny stood before him. More people began standing around Harry, and Minerva told Filch to remove the Slytherins from the hall.

"Hermione, we're going to need something to destroy the Horcrux," Ron said from beside her.

"We don't have the sword anymore, what are we going to do?"

"I was thinking that if the Basilisk venom was on the sword, we could go back into the Chamber. I mean, that thing still has to be down there, right?"

"Ron, that's brilliant!" Hermione said feeling a flash of hope.

The two chased after Harry, and quickly explained things to him.

"Take this," Harry said handing over the Marauder's map. "That way you can find me when you're ready,"

The two instantly darted to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. On the way there, Hermione paused for a second to stare from a window, and Ron stood beside her. The two watched as a shield slowly engulfed the school.

"Come on, we're wasting time," Ron said, taking her hand and pulling her away.

This was it; they had finally reached the end. Everything they had worked had brought them so close.

The two burst into the bathroom and Hermione saw Ron dash to a sink and look at the faucet.

"It's here," he said stepping back from the sinks.

Hermione didn't say anything; the last time Ron had been here, Hermione was in the Hospital Wing.

"Well, how are we going to get in?" she asked.

"Parseltongue," Ron replied.

"But neither of us can do that!"

"I've picked up a few things from Harry,"

"You're telling me you learned Parseltongue?"

"Harry talks in his sleep," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders and approaching a sink.

Hermione waited for a moment before hisses began coming from Ron's lips. She stared at him as if she had never seen him before in her life, until the sinks began to move.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Just step back," Ron replied, pulling her away from the sinks.

When the movement stopped, there was a huge hole left in the floor.

"This is the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yep, I'll go first, and you can follow," Ron said, approaching the hole. "See you in a few," he replied, giving her a smile and jumping down.

Hermione darted forward, listening for Ron. A small thud made her heart jump into her throat.

"Ron?" she called.

"Come on! It's fine!"

Hermione looked at the room around her before taking a deep breath and jumping down. Everything was dark and the air was cool. Hermione barely had much of a chance to feel anything else before she was expelled onto a pile of bones. Ron helped her up, and took her hand. The place was wet and musky, not to mention completely filthy.

"Come on, this way,"

Hermione went along, but couldn't help thinking how odd his hand felt in hers. It wasn't the right hand. Instantly her thoughts shifted to Severus. What was he doing? Where was he? Was he hurt? Was he looking for her?

In her panic, she hadn't realized that Ron had opened another door, into the actual Chamber itself. Instantly she saw the skeleton of the Basilisk. The two approached the bones, and Ron pulled out a few fangs.

Digging through her bag, Hermione pulled out the cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. She handed the small gold trinket to Ron, who in turn, handed her a fang.

"You do it," he said, placing the cup down on the stone.

"I can't," Hermione replied, shaking her head.

"You have to, come on,"

Hermione kneeled down, at Ron's encouragement. She stared at the cup. She was about to destroy a piece of someone's soul. The thought bothered her, but then she forced herself to think _whose_ soul it really was. Raising the cup above her head, Hermione swung down, striking the cup.

The cup spun away, startling the two. Instantly, the water around them began to move, and Hermione jumped up along with Ron, and the two began running back towards the door. Hermione could see faces in the water, and hear screeches and violent whispers around them.

At the same time, the two stopped running, knowing they couldn't out run the water any longer. Turning, they were immediately drenched. They were breathing heavy, and Hermione turned to Ron, smiling because there was another Horcrux that was gone.

What she didn't expect was for Ron to pull her against him and kiss her. His lips worked over hers, but her mind screamed at her to shove him away, which she did.

"What was that?" she instantly said, feeling like she had just been stunned.

What about Severus? She felt like she had betrayed him. He was always jealous of Ron, she had known since the wedding when he had snapped at her to go and dance with him instead. She felt like she had let him down.

"Hermione, you have to know how much I like you by now," Ron said in defense.

"Ron, now isn't the time to act on your feelings. We're in the middle of a war,"

"But now is as good as any time. What if something happens to one of us? Don't you feel the same?" he pushed.

What was she supposed to say? She was married? She didn't like him the same way he liked her? Hermione saw him as a brother; he was her best friend.

"I-" she was cut off when a large rumble caused the stone beneath their feet to vibrate.

"We have to find Harry," Hermione said, turning around and running.

When the two made it back to the bathroom, Ron pulled out the map and found Harry.


	43. Agony

**Hey guys! Nothing really important today, except keep the reviews coming. I'm afraid some of you have lost interest in this!**

**Read, enjoy, and review!**

* * *

><p>"He's here," he showed Hermione.<p>

Just as her eyes found his name on the parchment, it disappeared.

"Where did he go?" she asked.

Ron turned to her, with a glint in his eye.

"The Room of Requirement, it's untraceable,"

"Of course!"

The two took off running, fighting through crowds. The wall in front of them suddenly exploded, causing them to fall to the ground. Hermione knew that Voldemort's forces had finally broken through and were now invading the school.

"We have to hurry," Hermione said, pulling Ron to his feet and running down the hallway.

They reached the room and found Harry being cornered by Malfoy. Hermione and Ron instantly began an assault, and Hermione watched as an object flew from Harry's hand and landed on a stack of rubble. Hermione ducked when a spell flew by her, and she heard Ron yelling after them about attacking his girlfriend. She was in too much of a panic to correct his mistake. Frantically, she and Harry began digging for the small silver crown. Pixies began attacking them, but they ignored them, throwing abandoned chairs to the floor.

"I've got it!" Harry cried his knuckles white with strain.

The two stumbled down to the floor, just in time to see Ron sprinting towards them with a ball of fire right behind him. The three took off running, feeling the heat searing their back. Hermione watched Harry throw up a protection charm, but the three found themselves trapped.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione shouted over the raging flames.

"Here!" Ron cried, throwing broomsticks at them.

They took off, and Hermione saw Malfoy and Blaise on top of a pile of garbage.

"We can't just leave them!" Harry called.

"If we die because of them, Harry, I'm going to kill you!" Ron shouted.

The three doubled back, the two were rescued, and they were bolting for the door. The heat was overpowering and choking Hermione, but she raised her wand to open a small window for them to get out of the room. The second they were out, the five of them hit the floor. Before Hermione could collect herself, Malfoy and Blaise were running away. Ron scooped the diadem up, impaled it with the Basilisk fang and then kicked it into the fire that was still raging towards them.

The doors slammed shut, and the three sat there breathing heavily. Chaos was raging heavily around them, signaling that the Death Eaters had officially penetrated the walls of Hogwarts.

"We have to find the last Horcrux," Ron said.

"Harry, you have to look into his mind," Hermione said, kneeling in front of Harry.

Harry looked at her panicked.

"But you said-"

"I know I told you to close the connection, but you need to see where he is,"

She watched as he closed his eyes and began grinding his teeth. His body went rigid, and Hermione began to fear for him, but his eyes suddenly popped open.

"I think I know where he is," he gasped.

"Where?"

"The Boathouse,"

"What is he doing there?" Hermione asked standing.

"He was talking to Lucius Malfoy. He told him to find Snape and to tell him to go to the Boathouse," Harry replied, rising to his feet.

"Oh, God," Hermione cried out.

A moment later, she was running towards the stairs, firing spells as she went along. The Boathouse was so far away! She could hear the other two behind her, but she didn't care if they managed to keep up. Severus couldn't be alone with that monster. They reached the doors to the courtyard, and Hermione was pulled back as a jinx was shot her way. Harry reached around the doorway, silently firing a spell at the Death Eater and successfully clearing their way.

The three ran outside, dodging spells and debris, struck silent at the amount of destruction caused by Voldemort's forces.

"Watch out!" Hermione cried, seeing a giant coming straight at them.

The three took shelter in a bell, a bell, Hermione suddenly remembered, that rang the night she and Harry had saved Sirius. When they were clear, the three darted past spiders and Death Eaters before they found a wall of Dementors. The three stumbled backwards; even Harry couldn't produce a Patronus that large.

An instant later, large white beams began shooting from behind them, causing the Dementors to scurry away. Hermione turned to see Aberforth standing there with many of their classmates. She offered him a fleeting smile, she had told Harry he hadn't given up, and the three finally reached the stairs to the Boathouse.

Hermione was running so fast, she kept stumbling and nearly falling. She felt like she was stuck in a dream, one of the dreams that no matter how hard you push yourself, you can never run fast enough.

They reached the Boathouse, and Harry quickly pulled Hermione to the ground, and she fell with a thud, feeling her knees and palms scrape against the stone. Her heart was pounding and she could feel the sweat covering her body. After a moment, she could hear past her own heart beat and focus on the voices inside.

"My Lord, the wand only answers to you," she heard Severus say in his silky voice.

"No, Severus, it does not perform the way the legends describe it," a voice hissed in return.

"I assure you, the wands allegiance lies with you,"

If Hermione hadn't spent so much time with him, she would have noticed the slight panic in his voice. He was scared.

"The wands allegiance lies with the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore, Severus, and while you live, the Elder wand can never truly be mine,"

"My Lord?"

"You have been a faithful servant, Severus, and I regret what must happen,"

Hermione heard a slicing motion, before she heard a cry fall from Severus' lips. A loud bang sounded from the glass above their heads and Hermione turned her head to see a profile pressed against it. She pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress the scream she could feel bubbling in her chest. Hermione, choking back sobs, pulled out a Basilisk fang from her bag.

"What are you doing?" Harry hissed quietly.

"It is a pity to lose you, Severus. Nagini, kill,"

A moment later, Hermione sprang into action. She jumped up from under the window and burst through the door of the Boathouse with her wand and the fang clutched in her hands. Her eyes found Severus' limp form, his eyes wide with terror and his hands wrapped around his throat and covered in blood. She darted to him, taking a stance between him and the snake.

Voldemort hissed something to the snake, which paused in its attack.

"Call it off or I will kill it!" Hermione shouted, keeping her wand trained on Voldemort.

He was terrifying, and Hermione struggled to keep her wand steady in his midst. The snake like eyes, slits for nostrils, and the protruding veins in his head made her heartbeat quicken

"Foolish Mudblood," he hissed viciously. "Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. You're simply a pawn in his game, a game in which Severus only looks out for himself. Don't fool yourself,"

Hermione's eyes flickered from the snake to Voldemort. He had a certain air about him, which made her skin crawl and caused her to doubt herself. Hermione now knew how so many people became wrapped up in this cult and how many people had been tricked into supporting him.

"I will kill the snake,"

"With that?" Voldemort scoffed, raising his wand slightly higher.

"I think we all know the effects Basilisk venom has on someone, Tom,"

"How dare you use that name!" Voldemort shouted, a stream of light coming from his wand.

Hermione blocked it with a huff, the force nearly knocking her off her feet. He was beyond furious, and she knew she was about to die at the hands of the most terrifying wizard of all time. She needed to do something, and quickly. Before he could fire another curse at her, Hermione lunged for the snake, swinging downward with the fang.

Hermione heard his piercing scream, sending chills up her spine, before she was engulfed in a black smoke that was striking her repeatedly, causing her to stumble blindly around. It reminded her of the attack they had in the Ministry, when they were consumed in black smoke to disorient them so Harry was left alone, only this attack was meant to injure her.

Her wand dropped to the ground, and before she could lean down and pick it up, her foot struck a ledge, and Hermione fell straight into the Black Lake, losing the Basilisk fang in the process. The more she struggled for the surface, the deeper she was pulled down. Eventually, the black smoke was gone, a knot of seaweed wrapped around her ankle, pinning her to the bottom. Hermione couldn't see a thing, and for the first time in hours, it was completely silent.

She stopped struggling, relishing the quiet and peace. It had been a long time since she had peace and quiet. A moment later, that was broken as a bolt of light severed the seaweed, allowing her to float to the surface, water rushing into her lungs.

When her head broke the surface, hands were everywhere, clutching her clothing and lifting her from the water. She was dropped onto the stone, causing her to cough up water and gasp for air. She would have gladly lain there, regaining control, if she hadn't heard a sickening gurgling sound.

Hermione lifted her eyes in time to see Severus stumble back, hitting the glass, and collapsing to the floor.

"No," Hermione gasped out, scrambling over to him.

The instant she reached him, her hands pressed against the large laceration in his neck, feeling the blood freely flowing between her fingers.

"Look at me, don't you dare leave me," she muttered, her eyes welling with tears.

His eyes briefly met hers, and she saw tears on his cheek. He turned away from her, and Hermione saw him grab the front of Harry's shirt, yanking him down.

"Take them," he gurgled out, gesturing to the moisture on his face.

Harry was frozen for a second before turning to Hermione.

"I need a vial, now!"

"Put your hands here," she choked out.

Harry's hands replaced Hermione's, and she instantly pulled a vial from her bag. She returned to pressing against the wound as Harry collected the tears.

"Take them to the Pensive," Severus rasped.

Harry looked at the vial, before Severus tugged on his shirt.

"Look at me…"

Harry did as he was told.

"Ron, bring me my wand, now!" Hermione cried, tears streaming down her face, as she gasped desperately for air.

Ron did as he was told, and Hermione began the strongest healing spell she knew, trying to slow the bleeding.

"You have your mother's eyes,"

Hermione lifted her eyes to look at the man she loved, as he looked into Harry's eyes with a deep anguish reflected in his own. Severus turned his head, his eyes on Hermione's. She released a strangled sob when her eyes met his. The black pools she had fallen so deeply in love with only showed a resignation, a deep understanding that in a few moments, they would never see again.

"No," she mumbled, still healing him.

Her work was done, and her wand clattered to the stone. The wound was healed, but Hermione knew that he had lost so much blood already.

He weakly lifted his hand to her cheek, gently brushing away the tears he found there. Hermione used both of her hands to brush his hair away from his face.

"You're going to be fine," she sobbed. "We just need to get Madame Pomfrey here, and you'll be as good as new,"

He gave her a small smirk, so weakly executed that it could barely count as a smirk. Hermione forced him to look at her, and she watched his eyes flash over her face.

"Thank you," he sighed.

"Shh, you're going to fine, I promise," she mumbled. "You can't go yet, I'm not going to let you go," Hermione added, the tears falling faster.

Hermione watched in horror as the twinkling eyes locked on hers slowly dulled, and his body went limp, causing the hand that was on her cheek to slip away and strike the floor with a heart wrenching thud.

"Severus? Oh God, no! SEVERUS! NO! PLEASE!" Hermione screamed while stroking his face, trying to get his eyes to refocus on her.

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU! PLEASE, NOT NOW! Please, don't leave me, please, no," she moaned.

Hermione couldn't think of anything as he body slid down the wall. She instantly caught him, pulling his torso into her arms, preventing him from hitting the ground. She pressed her face to his, allowing her tears to splash on his pale skin as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Please, don't take him away from me," she whispered against his cheek, gently rocking him in her embrace.

Hermione closed her eyes, tightening her arms around his body. His strong commanding presence was gone now as she held his broken body in her arms. He had never before looked so vulnerable to Hermione, and she had never loved him more than she did at that moment.

"I love you, Severus Snape," she whispered, so no one could hear her.

She risked a kiss to his pale lips hidden behind the wall of her hair. He had a second chance at life, a chance to live without having guilt hanging over his head, and it was snatched from him. Hermione felt cheated; her future was now gone. Severus was her future, and she couldn't see one without having his scowling face peering at her over a large book or having his scolding words when she did something wrong.

His skin was cooling, and he was white, but Hermione gently stroked his cheek, wiping away the blood that was smeared on his skin.

"Hermione," Harry whispered.

"Leave me alone," she sniffled.

"We have to go,"

"I'm not leaving him here!"

Someone touched her shoulder, and she flinched away.

"Please, just go," Hermione whispered, gently running her fingers along Severus' cheek.

Hermione rested her forehead on his, and clung to him tightly, allowing her agony to flood all of her senses, and steal her breath away.


	44. Wait

**Hey! Thank you for all the reviews! Even if most of them were because you guys were upset :D **

**Anyway, read, and tell me what you think! **

* * *

><p>Severus tried to cling to his strength, but the peace he could feel awaiting him in the darkness was too much to resist. After twenty years, that's all he wanted.<p>

Her tears made his heart ache. The agony he saw in her eyes made him feel guilty for taking the darkness that was presented to him. She was begging him, allowing him to see her at her most vulnerable state, bearing all to his gaze. He envied her, allowing her feelings to be so easily viewed while he struggled so much behind the walls in his own mind.

Her fingers ghosted across his face while he tried to brush her tears away, losing his energy with each stroke of his thumb.

She mentioned getting him help, but he only smirked at her because they both knew there was no helping him, it was far too late for that.

He could feel the coldness creeping up on him, and he mumbled to her a small thank you.

Now, as he floated through the darkness, he realized how insignificant those two words sounded, but for him, they encompassed everything she had ever done for him. She supported him, and stood by him. She made him care, made him realize that beneath twenty years of an emotionless façade, he did have a soul and still had compassion. Hermione made him realize that he was just as human as anyone else.

Even as he slipped away, he could hear her screaming for him, begging him to come back to her, but the peacefulness that was taking him away was so welcoming and painless that he couldn't resist. He welcomed it with open arms. If he knew that death felt like this, he would have welcomed it so much sooner. Never had he felt more at peace with his life than he did now. He had no regrets, no remorse, he was just fine.

Regrets. He did have one, one that made him cling to the pain and that world as long as he physically could. Severus hadn't told her how much he loved her or how much she had changed him for the better.

She was right there, he could have mumbled the words before he slipped away, but why do that to her? Why tell her that he loved her, and then leave that with her for the rest of her life? He couldn't subject her to that and leave her with the consequences of the statement while he moved on.

He knew, as he stared into her eyes, the last thing he would ever see, that she loved him more than anything. He had never seen such anguish in someone's eyes as he did in hers at that moment. Severus wished he had said something more than a mere 'thank you' as his last words to her.

Letting his mind wander, Severus wondered where he was going next. He was met with a bright white light, and he suddenly felt solidified instead of just floating around.

Severus peeled his eyes open, and found himself staring at a ceiling. Was this it? Was this what everyone assumed would happen when they died?

Sitting up, Severus peered around. Was he in a train station? Where ever he was, he didn't care. He felt fantastic; he couldn't remember feeling this well since before Lily was killed.

Severus climbed to his feet, and peered around again. What was he supposed to do?

"Hello, Severus,"

He spun around and found Albus Dumbledore sitting on a bench.

"Care to join me?"

Severus silently walked over and took a seat beside the man, staring ahead into a misty white distance. Severus tilted his head towards him.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Hmm…I've been wondering the same thing,"

"It looks like a train station,"

"It does, doesn't it?" Albus said smiling and peering around.

"Why am I here?"

"That, I don't know. I was only to see Harry tonight, but I do enjoy your company, Severus. This is a pleasant surprise,"

Severus scoffed at the old man and sat back in his seat. Dumbledore chuckled for a moment.

"I know you often wonder if I resent you for killing me,"

"I only did what you asked," Severus answered, turning his eyes away.

"I know, and I'll be forever grateful, but I want you to know Severus, that I do not hold it against you. I asked for your assistance, and you did what I asked of you. You were one of the most loyal people I've ever met. You should not let that weigh on your conscious,"

"I didn't do it for you,"

"I know, you did it for Lily. These past twenty years you dedicated to Lily, you love her very much, even after all this time,"

Severus didn't answer. Did he love Lily? Yes, he supposed he did, but not like he did twenty years ago. That, he knew, had changed.

"You love another now; I can see it in your eyes. You have the same desperation on your face as you did the night you showed me your Patronus,"

Severus felt his hands ball into fists, as the memory of that night came flooding back to him.

"I'd like to see your Patronus again, if you don't mind. I like to see the best part of you, that you keep hidden from the rest of the world," Albus said with a smile.

"What would you have liked me to do? Flaunt the fact that I loved a woman who married my enemy? Make clear to the world that after all of this time I'm still in love with a dead woman who I can't get over? No, Albus, I don't want anyone's pity,"

"I never forced you to reveal the best part of your character, Severus. I just think that people would have liked to see the amount of devotion you can show when you truly care about something. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to see your Patronus one last time,"

Severus sighed and pulled his wand out of his robes, which he noticed were pristine. Shaking his head at the old man, Severus cast his Patronus.

"There, are you-" Severus began, but was cut off by what he saw.

There, in front of them, were two otters dancing around one another. Their graceful movements caught Severus' eye, and he could not look away as they floated majestically through the air. As they flickered and disappeared, Severus instantly casted his Patronus again, and was met with the same image. The otters then danced around him, and he looked at Albus with a shocked expression, but was met with a warm smile.

"You truly and honestly love her,"

"How can this happen? What happened to my Patronus?"

"You still love Lily, but in a different way. Whether you have noticed or not, you allegiance has shifted to another woman,"

Severus remained quiet, not about to mutter her name.

"Hermione's Patronus is an otter,"

Severus slouched in his seat. Twenty years and his Patronus changes? No, that can't be right.

"I do believe that the same happened to Nymphadora when she fell in love with Remus,"

"Do not compare me to those two," Severus snapped, jumping up and pacing around.

Albus pulled out a time piece and glanced briefly at it.

"If we don't hurry, we're going to be late," he said standing and walking to a bright light at the end of the platform. "Are you coming?"

"Of course I'm coming, do I really have a choice," Severus snapped.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you do have a choice,"

Severus paused in his pacing to look at the old man.

"I want to go,"

"Have you thought of the repercussions of you actions on those around you?"

"Does it matter? I've suffered enough,"

"And you are willing to leave Hermione in the middle of a war, and for the remainder of her life?"

Severus didn't reply.

"Severus, I'm afraid you highly underestimate how much Hermione cares for you,"

Albus waved his hand, and a hazy mist appeared. An image began to form, and Severus stepped forward.

"Is that a Pensive?" Severus asked.

"No, but I'd like to show you what's going on with Hermione at this moment,"

The image cleared, and Severus saw himself, bloody and battered, being hung on by a woman with bushy hair. She was silently crying over his body and rocking him back and forth while stroking his face.

"Hermione, come on,"

"Leave me alone," she replied, sounding so broken that Severus took a seat to support himself.

"I do think that Harry's been trying to get her to leave you for at least ten minutes now. She doesn't want to leave you alone, no matter what. Hermione's just about given up on the war now, you were the most important thing to her, and she feels that if she doesn't have that, what does she have?"

"Her bloody friends," Severus snapped out, unable to tear his eyes away from the image in front of him.

He couldn't stop watching how tenderly she held him and stroked his white skin. The image dulled, and disappeared.

"Where did she go?" Severus asked, jumping up.

Another image formed, showing Hermione wrapped up on a grey couch in a large room. Her eyes were glassy and unseeing.

"Where is she?" Severus asked.

"In her childhood home. After your death, she removed herself from the magical community, and destroyed her wand. She never went to retrieve her parents, and avoids contact with anyone she knew from our world,"

"She wouldn't be able to tear herself away from Lupin,"

"He and his wife are killed in battle, leaving their son alone,"

The mist then disappeared altogether.

"What happens after that?" Severus asked.

"Hermione more or less lives like a Muggle. She passes shortly after the war,"

Hermione…dead. The thought made Severus sick to his stomach. She can't die; she is so young and has so much ahead of her. All at once, it hit Severus. To have her so affected over his death, he had to mean _something_ to her. She changed her whole lifestyle because he was gone.

"What if I go back?" Severus asked through the lump in his throat.

"That, I don't know. You will have to see for yourself," Albus replied, heading towards the light. "Are you coming?" he repeated.

Severus rose to his feet and began to follow Albus. The closer he got to the light, the better he felt. He was ready to go; he was ready to move on. But the closer he got to the light, the more guilt filled his chest. Finally, the guilt was so much, his feet stopped moving.

"Wait," Severus said quietly.

Albus turned to look at him over his half-moon glasses. Severus could feel his heart beating in his chest, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as an alarming speed. The decision he was faced with was one of the most important ones he would ever make. The decision of life or death. Swallowing deeply, he raised his eyes to Dumbledore.

"I want to go back,"

"I knew you would," Albus said quietly. "You deserve a good life, Severus,"


	45. A New Fire

**Hello! **

**You all are amazing :D I can't even tell you how great all of the reviews were, so keep them coming!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Instantly, he was consumed with blackness and pain. Severus felt so incredibly weak, barely able to cling to the edge of consciousness. Smaller sensations began to reoccur to him. First, it was the small feather-like stroking on his cheek. Then, it was coldness of the air around him along with the wet stone beneath his body. His joints were stiff, and his neck was burning. Something was tickling his face, and he felt himself scowl at the sensation.<p>

"Oh, bloody hell," he groaned, wishing he had just followed Albus into the blinding light.

"Severus?" he heard a stuffy voice say.

He took a sudden deep breath and released it. There was a more insistent stroking on his face now, and Severus enjoyed the way it relaxed him.

"Hermione, we have to go," he heard Potter say.

"No! He's breathing!"

There was a flurry of movement around him, and a voice urging him to open his eyes.

"Severus, look at me, I know you can hear me," she said softly.

Hermione. His muscles instantly loosened. Severus was suddenly jostled, and he clenched his jaw.

"Your knee is digging into my back," he choked out hoarsely.

He took this moment to open his eyes. Hermione's hair was tickling his face, and she was delicately stroking his face. Her eyes were puffy, bloodshot, and red; there wasn't a single doubt in Severus' mind that she had been crying, hysterically too. She had smears of blood on her face, mixed with dirt, and tears. All in all, she looked like she had been to hell and back.

With a flood of fresh tears, she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his neck. Though Severus was weak, he mustered enough energy to embrace her as tight as he possibly could.

"I thought you were gone," she whispered through her tears.

Severus closed his eyes and savored the feeling of her in his arms. After a moment, he pulled away, watching Hermione quickly wipe her face. Severus made a move to sit up, and Hermione instantly helped him to a sitting position. Before they could do much else, a cold voice cut through the air.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me,"

Hermione was staring at Severus, with wide eyes. He could see the panic boiling just beneath the surface, but she was hiding it from the rest of the group.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him quietly.

Severus began to stand, but could only complete the task with Hermione's help. He leaned against the window, touching his burning neck. His head was spinning, and it took him a few moments to compose himself.

"Potter," he rasped out. "You need to get to the Pensive. Immediately,"

Severus could see Potter's fingers wrapped around the most prized possession Severus ever had. Only one person had even seen half of what was in that vial, and they were standing in front of him, sporting a worried expression.

"We need to get you to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said.

"No, I'm fine,"

"Severus, you lost too much blood to do anything else,"

"No," he said more adamantly.

Hermione glared at him evenly before sighing.

"Fine, but you cannot go out and fight, you're not strong enough. I don't think I could deal with a repeat of this," she muttered running her blood stained hands through her hair.

An explosion in the distance caused them to jump, putting everyone back on guard.

"Hurry, you're running out of time," Severus said quietly.

The panic was bursting forth; he could see it in her eyes. She didn't know what to do.

"I'm fine, go," he assured her.

"Please just stay here until this is over," Hermione nearly begged him while subconsciously grabbing his robes.

Severus watched as her eyes flickered to his lips for a moment, and he felt a brief flash of panic.

"Hermione," he said in a warning tone to her.

They couldn't blow it now, they had come so far, with only two people knowing of their agreement, and they didn't come all this way to give up now.

"I know," she muttered, drawing her hands away from him and taking a step back.

Hermione stood there for a moment, her brown eyes full of fire, chewing on her lip in a way he had seen when she was pouring over a book. She seemed extremely agitated.

"To hell with it,"

Severus had barely a moment to register her words before her arms were around his neck and her lips pressed to his. After the moment of shock wore off, he immediately wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her tightly against him, pouring everything he could into that kiss.

The two were well aware that this may be the last time they see each other, and that they almost didn't have this moment. Severus noted a struggle occurring in the background, and Potter hissing words quietly. Weasley was no doubt throwing a fit.

Severus turned his attention back to the matter at hand. As her fingers dug into his shoulder and hair, he dug his fingers into her hip and back. They struggled to be closer to one another, Hermione allowing Severus full control of the kiss. He could feel every curve of her body through his now filthy and slightly tattered robes, yet he still pulled her closer. He needed her closer, to relish her before she slipped into the darkness, perhaps, for the last time.

Severus knew that this was the most passionate kiss they had shared to date, and he wanted to live in this moment, never letting it end. There was a sense of panic between them, as if the two were grasping at the time that was quickly slipping through their fingers. His mind briefly flitted to the hallway at Grimmauld Place, his most treasured memory, before coming back to the moment at hand.

Eventually, the two pulled apart, gasping for breath. Severus pressed a soft kiss to her lips before resting his forehead on hers. He could feel her harsh breath on his face but he refused to open his eyes. To open his eyes would mean the end of this blissful moment.

"Hermione," Potter's voice suddenly floated through the air.

Hermione pulled back, and Severus forced his eyes to open. Her eyes spoke volumes to him, but she didn't say a word to him, and for that, he was grateful.

"Go," Severus eventually whispered to her.

Hermione went to protest, but Severus stopped her. Pulling farther away from her, he completely ended contact with her warmth. She looked as if he were abandoning her. Severus leaned against the wall, and allowed his eyes to drift in Potter's direction.

Standing in the doorway, Potter was restraining Weasley's, whose face had gone red. He was breathing heavily and looked murderous as his eyes met Severus'. For a moment, Severus recalled the conversation that he overheard when in Diagon Alley. Weasley was attempting to ask her out. Apparently she was right in her decision to not tell him of their arrangement.

He turned his eyes from Potter and his sidekick to the woman who was standing, tensely, in front of him.

"You're wasting time, Potter needs to get to the Pensive. It is imperative that he sees what's in that bottle. If not, we will lose,"

Severus tried to convey the seriousness of that small vial to her, and she instantly understood. Her eyes were blazing with panic as she grabbed her wand from the ground. In a split second, her mouth covered his before disappearing just as fast.

"Be careful," he muttered, wrapping his robes tighter around his body, allowing the wall to support almost all of his weight.

"I'll be back, after this is over, I'll come back for you," she said gently her eyes fierce with promise.

Severus gave her a small smile. A second later she was bolting for the door and disappeared into the cool night. Potter released Weasley who was still huffing like a bull. Weasley made a movement towards Severus, but Potter was already grabbing him and forcing him out of the Boathouse.

It was only Potter and him now, and Severus met the savior's gaze evenly. Even though he was restraining his friend, Potter himself was still a little stunned at what he had just seen.

"Potter, your gawking is going to kill us all," Severus remarked casually, not with his usual cruel tone.

"Professor, I don't understand what just-"

"If you ever leave this Boathouse, the Pensive will answer your never-ending curiosity,"

After another small pause, Potter swallowed deeply.

"Thank you, for helping," Potter said sincerely.

Severus nodded, and then looked away from his eyes. He heard Potter leave the Boathouse, and heard the three running up the stairs. He could hear Weasley yelling at the top of his lungs.

"YOU JUST KISSED SNAPE, HERMIONE! WHAT THE BLODDY HELL! YOU WERE ALL OVER HIM AND HE-HE WAS TOUCHING YOU!"

Severus sighed as he heard a small silence, no doubt Hermione responding the imbecile's rants. The shouting began again, but another voice overpowered it.

"RON! WHO CARES WHO HERMIONE IS SNOGGING! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR!"

Potter's yell was met with silence.

As their footsteps died away on the stone, Severus pushed off of the wall and pulled his wand out from his robes before following them.

Did she honestly think that he was going to stay in that moldy Boathouse? He has spent the last twenty years letting other people fight for him, and now they had reached the end and he was not sitting back again. This time around, Severus would show his true colors, boldly and proudly, just as he wanted to since Lily was killed.

As he climbed the stairs, he felt a new fire spring inside of him, a fierce determination to fight for what he believed in and the people he cared for. Severus was going to protect his school, his staff, co-workers, and students, aid the Golden Trio, and most importantly, make sure Hermione made it out alive and well.

This time, nothing would stop Severus Snape.


	46. Dead

**Hey! So, I thought I had posted this...like an hour ago, but I didn't!**

**Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews! Keep them coming! :D**

* * *

><p>When his feet struck the stone of the courtyard, he instantly found the three. They hadn't made it very far. Regardless of Voldemort's orders, some Death Eaters remained behind and were still attacking. One had obviously seen Potter, and now there was a gang of them attacking the Trio. Taking a half a second to admire the impressive and fierce wand work Hermione was presenting, Severus stepped forward and shot a few spells around the three, directly striking the Death Eaters.<p>

Before any of them had realized what happened, he stepped behind a pillar. God forbid she saw him, she'd never leave his side, and Potter would never reach that Pensive. After another moment, Severus began following them again and saw them slip into the castle. He knew that he would never be able to make in through the castle without being seen.

Instead, Severus Apparated straight to the Astronomy Tower. There, he was met with a fierce battle. Lupin was battling Dolohov, and was losing. He was weak, and most likely was already weak before the battle due to transformations. Dolohov had his back to Severus, and Severus instantly reacted as he saw Dolohov raise his wand in the process of performing the Killing Curse.

Severus flicked his wrist and Dolohov was yanked backward, and instantly flung over the rail of the Astronomy Tower. Severus found Lupin on the ground, with his eyes closed, but he was breathing. Severus was immediately beside him, checking his pulse. As Severus took his wrist, Remus jumped and his eyes snapped open.

"Severus?" he asked in disbelief.

Severus swallowed his pride, and helped the man to his feet. Lupin stumbled and leaned against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, keeping a tight hold on his wand.

"Saving your life, again," he answered shortly, heading for the stairs.

A hand on his arm stopped him.

"Thank you, again. I owe you,"

"Don't worry about it," Severus said, shunning away from the sincerity of the man's gaze and descending the stairs.

As Severus snuck through the halls, he attacked any Death Eater he came across, eventually clearing the path to Dumbledore's office. As he rounded a corner, the wall beside him exploded, sending him hurtling through the air. He was suddenly on his back, with an intense ringing in his ears. Severus felt sluggish and disoriented. A face appeared above him, and he blinked a few times, trying to focus. It was thin, and the lips were moving, trying to speak to him, but he couldn't hear anything. Severus was then being helped to his feet, and the voice was becoming clearer.

"Are you with me?"

Blinking a few more times, the face of Remus Lupin suddenly came into focus. Severus stared at him for a moment, before staring around him. Didn't he leave him on the Astronomy Tower? What was he doing here?

"Severus, are you alright?"

Remus had a strong hold on his robes, and was holding him against a wall. Severus tried pulling Remus off of him, but for such a thin man, he was strong. The ringing was growing smaller by the second, and Severus could feel his focus coming back.

"Severus?"

"Fine…I'm fine," he managed to slur out.

"Perhaps you should sit down for a moment,"

"No, I have to go," he muttered, stumbling down the hallway.

Severus clung to the walls, or what was left of them, trying to make his way down the hallway. He knew that Remus was still there, behind him, not ready to let him wander off on his own just yet. As they rounded a corner, Remus suddenly shouted.

"TONKS!"

Severus instantly looked up to see the black-haired woman supporting herself with the wall as a Death Eater was furiously attacking her. His shout had distracted her for a moment, but Severus had already muttered a curse under his breath to stop her impending death. The Death Eater spun around, shocked at the sudden turn of events. The woman fell to the floor, exhausted.

"Get your wife," Severus muttered, standing to his full height in the middle of the obliterated hallway.

Remus stepped forward, only to be met with a slew of attacks from the now enraged Death Eater. Severus instantly distracted him, sending his own curse hurtling towards the man. The man instantly forgot about Remus, and focused on Severus, knowing by the wand work, he was more of a challenge.

Severus gracefully attacked the man, subtly flicking his wrist, twisting it this way and that, appearing to show little to no effort in the action. This infuriated the man. He brought his wand down in a cutting motion, the spell firing out like a dagger and striking Severus' shield so hard he stumbled backwards. He stood for a moment, stunned at the force, before turning more aggressive. He hadn't wanted to kill the man, just subdue him. But he had now asked for a battle Severus was only too happy to give him.

Severus' motions grew more violent as he stepped towards the man. The man's eyes flickered with fear as he took a step back, sensing he had just angered a very aggressive man. The man's foot struck a stone and he fell onto his back, and Severus refrained from delivering the fatal blow.

Even from the ground the man was not ready to give up. Severus sent a strong stunning hex at him, and the man fell unconscious on the floor.

Severus lifted his eyes and found Remus and his wife standing ready to fight. When they saw the man unconscious, their bodies relaxed slightly. Remus was just about to speak when the black-haired woman's face suddenly showed horror before casting a spell so close to Severus he had to dive out of the way. The duo began a vicious assault on the stray Death Eater, and Severus immediately joined in. The two had the situation under control, but Severus finally felt like he was in the right place – fighting beside the Order to protect the good.

The man was on the floor seconds later. Severus turned away as the two embraced, suddenly feeling cold and anxious. Where was she?

Arms suddenly were around his shoulders and he stiffened.

"Thank you, Severus," a woman said softly in his ear.

Tonks pulled away and wrapped an arm around her husband's waist. Severus stood for a moment, peering at the two. Albus said they would be dead, but here they stood. If he hadn't come back, they certainly would be. Clearing his throat, he nodded and swept down the hallway, holding all the grandeur he did when the walls were intact and people flinched at his presence.

Severus kept himself hidden from those moving around the castle. If he was seen, one of the teachers would surely hunt him down. He found bodies everywhere he looked, causing his stomach to flip. Each time he passed one, he peered into their face. He found horror, pain, peacefulness, blood, but never her.

Anxiety filled the air – the time was drawing near.

Severus had made the decision to sneak into the Forbidden Forest and find Voldemort, when he stumbled across a scene on the stairs.

Potter was speaking to Hermione, who was sitting beside Weasley on the stairs. She stood, and the two peered at each other for a moment. Hermione was suddenly hanging on Potter, obviously crying. He had told them. He had told him that he was going to have to sacrifice himself to save them all.

He watched as Potter straightened his shoulders, turned, and made his way down the stairs. Hermione stood there, and Weasley made no move to get up. Severus then knew what Dumbledore saw in the boy and was always trying to get Severus to see. Potter was self-sacrificing, hell bent on making sure evil did not win…even accusing Severus for numerous things over the years because he thought he was against them from the start.

Hermione resumed her seat beside Weasley, and the two hugged. Severus watched as her small frame shook with sobs. She had just watched her best friend walk to his death, and she could do nothing. Severus watched as seven years of his life walked out of the front door. Severus had spent that long protecting Potter and his friends.

Severus could still remember when Albus had told him that the boy must die at the proper moment. That was when Severus was still solely devoted to Lily. Even so, he was now devoted to Hermione, and his desire to protect her and her friends hadn't waned.

Hermione and Weasley remained on the stairs, and Severus knew he could not get by them without being seen. Severus studied Hermione for another moment before Apparating to the courtyard. He instantly hid behind a large pile of debris, hiding from the people who were searching for the dead and wounded. People stopped for a few moments to watch as Potter made his way to the forest with his head held high. As soon as he would pass, people would lean into one another and begin to whisper frantically.

Severus could read the sadness in their expressions as they watched the poor boy head into the forest alone. As much as Severus sometimes hated Potter's very existence, if he was put into that situation, he wouldn't want to be alone. So, Severus stood from his hiding place, and followed Potter in the open, past the various staring people. To the rest of the public, Severus was still the man who had killed Dumbledore and allowed the Carrows to torture their children.

The closer the two made it towards the forest, the darker it seemed to become. Severus silently followed behind Potter, wondering what he could be thinking. If Severus had to walk to his own death, he didn't think he could make his feet move. Severus was impressed with Potter, to say the least.

Potter suddenly froze, and Severus instantly came to a stop behind a large tree. Potter was speaking to someone, walking around, apparently seeing things that Severus couldn't see. Suprisingly, Potter was smiling lovingly at something, and Severus as sure that the boy had suddenly lost his mind.

Potter began walking again and Severus fell back into step.

Soon, they came to a clearing. Severus stood back, seeing Voldemort and his band of Death Eaters. Hagrid yelled when Harry stepped into the clearing, and the Death Eaters began hissing amongst themselves. Voldemort stepped forward, and Severus felt his heartbeat quicken almost instantly. The boney hand raised with the twisted wand that had killed dozens of people.

Severus' eyes snapped to Potter, who stood there, with his hands clenched at his sides. Why wasn't he doing anything? Where was his wand?

There was a small moment of silence, of intense magic crackling in the air. Voldemort drew his hand back, taking a deep breath.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A flash of green light. Voldemort was thrown to the ground. Harry Potter remained still on the forest floor. He was dead.


	47. Sun

**Hey guys! I haven't forgotten about you!**

**You all are amazing with all of your reviews! Let's try to hit 240 this time! I know you can do it!**

**Read and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Severus couldn't draw his eyes away from Harry's body, curled up on the ground. It was all over. In a flash of green light, it was over. Severus didn't realize he had bit into his own hand in an attempt to not yell out at Harry.<p>

Severus' body suddenly forced oxygen into itself, and his head began spinning. Severus had seen death before, numerous times, but this time it struck him differently. He was personally involved. He had loved Harry's mother, protected Harry since he had entered Hogwarts, and protected his best friends, especially Hermione. Now, he was staring blankly at the gruesome sight before him. Tearing his eyes away, he saw Voldemort still on the ground, and Bellatrix groveling, trying to awake him. Severus wished the creature was dead.

Rage suddenly bubbled up inside of him, and he wished he was the one who had killed the monster. After everything that that he had been through by that small boney hand, Severus wished more than anything that he could strike that thing down once and for all, taking twenty years of resentment and anger out on him.

Severus was snapped from his rage induced thoughts by a small movement. His eyes immediately locked on the movement of pale skin and black robes. Voldemort was stirring. Severus instinctively took a step closer to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. Even from his hiding spot, he could hear Bellatrix stammering and grasping onto his arm to help him up.

Bellatrix was shoved away and landed on the ground with a screech. Voldemort never liked her anyway, he just enjoyed the fact that he could order her around like a dog and she would listen to him regardless of his orders.

Soon, the exhausted thing was on its feet, gazing at the lump that was Harry Potter. Words were spoken, Bellatrix reclaimed her spot beside her Lord, and Narcissa Malfoy stepped forward slowly.

The woman's blond hair contrasted sharply with the dark forest around her. She shakily made her way towards the boy, keeping her eyes on him as if he were a frightened animal. Gracefully she lowered herself to the ground. Severus couldn't see much more. Things were too dark. She stayed bent over the boy for a long drawn out moment, before rising.

"The boy is dead," she spoke, with her chin held high.

Cheers erupted, though Severus could still hear Hagrid shouting over them in his strong booming voice. Severus grabbed onto a tree to support himself. Their one hope was gone. Now, the Death Eaters would take control of the castle, and in turn, the entire Wizarding World.

Hagrid was ordered to carry the boy back to the castle. The giant was sobbing loudly as he gingerly stooped to lift Potter from the ground. The boy's limp arm swung with each of the giants motions, making the nightmare that much more real.

The Death Eater's who were holding onto the chains that held the giant yanked him forward and back in the direction of the castle. Slowly, the giant moved, gaining more control over his sobbing. The parade of Death Eaters soon slowly followed the large man, whispering amongst themselves.

Voldemort allowed Bellatrix to aid him for a short while.

Severus quietly followed behind, making sure his own steps were muffled by the mass amount of Death Eaters. When they reached the forest's edge, Voldemort shoved Bellatrix off of him. He took the front position as they headed towards the school.

Severus darted away and found the path that lead to the Boathouse and took that up to the front of the castle. Breathing heavily, Severus reached the courtyard just as Voldemort shoved the body of a Giant off of the bridge.

People from the castle slowly began to filter out, unsure, no doubt, of what to do in the presence of such a being. Severus caught sight of Miss Weasley and saw the panic cross her face.

"Who's that that Hagrid's carrying? Who is it?"

As she darted forward, her father restrained her, thankfully. Hermione suddenly came forward, standing next to Weasley, stunned. Severus watched as Hermione forced her tears back, her face twisting with grief. Voldemort was speaking, but Severus wasn't picking up any of the words he was speaking. His eyes darted between the Death Eater's, Potter's body, and Hermione's face.

He was momentarily distracted as he watched Draco step forward away from the castle and join his parents who were standing in the front row of followers. Severus couldn't help smirking when his eyes landed on Lucius. The man was broken and petrified. He was going to bolt when the opportunity presented itself to him. Then, he would come crawling back claiming that he hadn't abandoned them at moment when they needed him the most. Narcissa slipped away with her son, but Lucius anxiously gazed around, his eyes darting between faces, knowing that if he walked away now, he would be considered a coward.

Another movement came from the castle. The Death Eaters laughed as Neville Longbottom stepped forward. Longbottom wasn't the type to switch sides. Before Severus had time to pursue the thought, Longbottom launched into a very Gryffindor inspired speech, causing Severus to instinctively roll his eyes and sigh. Leave it to a Gryffindor to always be a Gryffindor.

What Severus wasn't expecting was Longbottom to raise the sword of Gryffindor and trying and attack the snake. The boy went sailing back into the castle and fell with a crash, causing many to turn and look in fear. There was suddenly yelling.

Potter's body had fallen. But a moment later, Potter was on his feet, and sprinting away. In a flash, Potter ran past him, and the wall beside him exploded, sending him sailing to the ground. Severus quickly scrambled to his feet and was caught in the middle of sheer panic.

Death Eater's were Apparating left and right, Bellatrix was screaming at them to remain loyal and fight for their master, some remained and fought. People were screaming and Severus found McGonagall eagerly trying to get people safely into the castle.

Jumping forward, Severus, for the first time ever, publically took a stand against the Death Eater's.

Severus Snape cast as many spell as his mind could think of in his sheer panic, though he dare not show that he was indeed panicking. McGonagall was at his side a moment later, fighting with just as much fire.

"Get back in the castle!" Severus hollered to the people who remained outside fighting. "NOW!" he added when they refused to move.

Slowly the couple began backing towards the door, forcing people inside and keeping them safe. The Death Eater's were stunned when they saw him fighting against them, and he used that to his advantage. The split second pause they took to contemplate fighting against him was all he needed. After Severus took down the first few, the others caught onto the fact that he was no longer on their side. They spit vicious slurs at him, but he barely registered the words. Someone joined the two, and Severus spared a quick glance to his side and nearly snapped.

Hermione fought against their foes as if it was her last battle on this Earth. Her face was the definition of concentration and determination. Before he could say anything, he could hear Weasley yelling at her.

"HERMIONE! WE NEED TO GET THE SNAKE! THE SNAKE!"

"Go on without me!" she answered back, making a cutting motion through the air.

"Get out of here!" Severus growled, trying to step in front of her.

"You can't fight them alone!"

"You have to help Potter, now go!"

"Severus-"

"NOW!" he snapped, giving her a sharp shove backward in order to step in front of her.

He heard her footsteps running away, and he felt a small bit of relief as he resumed the fight. They needed to finish what they started, and no matter what, Weasley would always need Hermione's help.

McGonagall took a hard hit and stumbled backwards slightly, but Severus stopped the next blow from striking the old woman, who quickly regained her footing. The two remained side by side, fighting off the remaining Death Eaters who were trying to force their way into the castle.

Severus looked past the line of Death Eaters in front of them and saw another wave heading across the bridge. In a flash Severus was fighting his way forward. If those forces reached the castle, the two of them would never last.

A stunning hex struck him, throwing him to the ground. Severus blinked a few times, testing his limbs. He concluded that the hex was barely strong enough to knock him into unconsciousness. Scrambling up, he darted for the bridge, flicking his wand once he got a clear shot. The bridge crumbled and the men and women fell in like dominoes, screaming.

As Severus went to return to Minerva, Potter and the Dark Lord crashed to the center of the courtyard. Each scrambled for their wand, and once on their feet, Potter snapped.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother!"

Everything froze at that moment, and Severus knew that the people who recognized him and could locate him, were now staring at him. Voldemort stared at the boy, not moving.

"That Mudblood was nothing to Severus,"

"He was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her and Hermione, and he's been working against you ever since,"

Severus could hear the gasps around the courtyard, from Death Eaters and their foes alike. He could practically feel the eyes burning into his body. The two circled around each other like animals until Severus could see both of their faces.

Voldemort's eyes followed Harry's, and found Severus Snape, alive and well, standing in the middle of a pile of rubble, with his black robes torn and covered with dust.

Severus could see the rage in his snake-like eyes, but he said nothing.

"Lies!" Voldemort hissed viciously.

Severus remained silent, staring at the creature boldly in the eyes – something he had never done. He shook his head once, telling Voldemort that the words Potter was speaking were not lies. With an inhuman screech, Voldemort attacked Potter.

The two battled viciously, pieces of the spells breaking away and shattering stone walls and archways. Everyone stood silent as the air filled with so much magic many grabbed onto something to stop their spinning heads. And suddenly, Voldemort went rigid, the spell broke, and all eyes followed the wand that that was yanked from the boney fingers. The wand twirled through the air before landing perfectly in Potter's outstretched fingers.

Before Severus' very eyes, he watched the most feared wizard of all time begin to disintegrate and disappear. Soon, nothing of the hideous creature remained, and for the first time in months, the sun beamed down on Hogwarts.


	48. We Rebuild

**Hey everyone! I am so terrible at keeping up with this! I'm taking classes online and it's so stressful trying to keep on top of due dates! **

**Anyway, I've set a new goal for this story: 500 reviews! I know you can do it! You guys are awesome and your reviews are extremely inspiring to me, so keep them coming!**

**Also: I may not have Internet for a week; I'm going to my Grandma's house, who may or may not be getting Internet this week, so if I post on Tuesday, you'll know I have Internet!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>For a brief moment, everything was silent. People remained staring at the spot in which Voldemort stood mere moments ago. And then as if someone had turned a switch, cheers, applause, and shouts erupted throughout the air. People flooded around Potter, who simply stood there, not yet registering the fact that he had just saved the entire school and saved thousands of lives.<p>

Severus saw her before she saw him. Hermione embraced her friend for a moment before scanning the faces around her. Shoving past people, her hair was as wild as her eyes. Severus stepped forward, and began making his way through the crowd. A break in the people allowed her eyes to find him and a grin broke out onto her face as she ran towards him.

A moment later, she was flinging herself on him and he eagerly wrapped his arms around the small witch. Her arms were wrapped so tightly around his neck it was nearly painful. She was sobbing and trying to talk to him, but he couldn't hear a word she was saying. He pulled away to peer into her face.

"Why on Earth are you crying?" he asked seeing her face wet with tears.

"I don't know," she sniffled as more tears poured down her face. "I'm happy, and relieved, and Harry is alive, you're alive, Remus and Tonks, and…everything is finally over. We finally beat him,"

She began sobbing again, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, stroking her hair while pressing his lips to the top of her head.

The sun began shinning brighter than before, and Severus lifted his face to the sky, giving it a small smile, meant only for his mentor, Albus Dumbledore. He knew the old man was looking down right now, with a twinkle in his eye that said he was right all along.

People spent the next few hours running after one another and searching for friends and relatives. Many people took up the search for the wounded and the dead while Severus found Minerva directing a few boys who were carrying their wounded friend.

"Bring him into the Great Hall, someone will be with you as soon as possible," she said, grimacing at the sight before her.

The boys shuffled by and Severus stepped forward, standing beside the old woman who released a sigh.

"I can still remember the last time Voldemort was killed. The celebrations went on for days," Minerva said, staring out across the obliterated courtyard.

"Mm," Severus answered.

He could remember the last time Voldemort fell. He was grieving over the loss of Lily Potter. Raising his eyes, Severus looked around at all of the damage the school had taken. Minerva followed his eyes and offered a deeper sigh.

"I know how much this place means to you, Severus. I'm sure many people will offer to help repair it,"

"I'm sure they will," he replied, his eyes finding the three heroes standing on the bridge together.

"I think that it would be wise, before anything, to search the grounds for stray Death Eaters. We don't need people being attacked when they are helping bring the wounded back to the castle. I would like the Order to be responsible for that, if it's not too much to ask,"

"I'll inform them immediately," Severus answered quietly.

The two fell silent, as they watch Potter toss something off of both sides of the bridge. The three turned away from the school, and slowly, took one another's hands. The bond between the three was practically tangible in the air. Since the moment the three had been sorted in their first year, until they beat the most horrific dark wizard of all time, they had been together, right until the very end. Everything they had work for had ended, no doubt they would be lost for a few months without a constant threat hanging over their heads.

The three remained on the bridge for a while, and Minerva eventually made an announcement that everyone was to either return home if they so wished or gather in the Great Hall until the grounds were fully searched and any threats eliminated.

Slowly, people began shuffling through the large doors, finding one another to enter into conversation as they waited. The last to move were Potter, Weasley, and Hermione. Embracing in a large group for a few moments, they separated and began heading back to the school. Severus took this moment to find Lupin and Tonks to inform them of what Minerva wanted.

The three talked for a few moments as more of the members began to join the group. Many offered to take certain areas of the school, and broke away to do their job. Severus, naturally, took the dungeons as well as the first floor. The forest would be left until the end, when the entire Order was convened.

Arthur and George Weasley approached, with red eyes to offer their assistance. Severus looked over their shoulders and saw Fred sprawled out amongst the dead, surrounded by his family. Looking away from their faces, Lupin spoke up for a moment.

"We've got every place covered, it's alright," he spoke softly.

"We want to help," George offered.

"Your family needs you," Severus suddenly interjected, causing most to stare at him.

"We can't do anything more for him," Arthur said quietly.

Severus nodded once, and then sent the father-son duo to search the area around the library. Each group broke off, Severus being on his own, and left the Great Hall. As they left the room, the trio was walking in.

"Where are you all going?" Hermione asked in a slight panic.

"Searching the grounds to make sure they're clear," George said before falling in line with his father.

Hermione instantly caught Severus as he exited the room.

"Be careful," she mumbled quietly, for only his ears.

"I'm sure most of them fled already. Things should be relatively clear,"

"I want to come with you,"

"No, stay here," he ordered quietly.

She wanted to retort, he could see it written across her face, but she was exhausted.

"Watch your back when you're down there,"

"I will,"

Severus brushed by her, gently grazing her fingers with his before making a beeline for the dungeons. The only thing he found in damp corridors was scared students, and a few injured people who had fled there to avoid the brunt of the fighting. Severus healed most of the injuries, and sent the rest to the Great Hall to be put under the supervision of Madame Pomfrey. The first floor was completely deserted, except for one man whose eyes were glazed over and skin was pale.

Severus finished his inspection and then silently cast a spell to have the man float on a stretcher behind him and back to the Great Hall. Flitwick took the man to where the other deceased people were lined up and slipped a sheet over the body.

Severus stood in the middle of the Great Hall for a moment, taking in the scene before him. The right side was a makeshift hospital, and many people were bandaged up while others cried out in pain. By the looks of it, most would be transferred to St. Mungo's as soon as the people arrived to collect the injured.

The left was more like a funeral parlor. Families wept over lost loved ones, while others sat, unclaimed. Some families were making arrangements to have the bodies of their loved ones moved so the proper arrangements for the burial could be made.

"Attention!" Minerva's voice boomed across the room. "We have a list here for missing people. If you have checked with Professor Flitwick and Madame Pomfrey, and their name is not present, please, come up front and add their name to this list here,"

A fairly large group of people made their way to Madame Pomfrey and Flitwick. The poor man watched as families lifted sheets, and either sighed with relief or cried out in horror. The room was buzzing with voices and Severus stepped through the large doors and stood in the Entrance Hall.

At that moment, a group of people dressed in white came climbing over the rubble. Severus immediately recognized their uniforms. The people carrying stretchers looked around in awe and shock, most became pale and fell speechless.

"Through here," Severus murmured to the lost crowd, leading them over to Madame Pomfrey so she could better direct them.

For most of the day, people were being funneled in and out, until finally, only a few remained. Potter remained close to Weasley for most of the day after he had told his family to go home without him, and that he would be back in time for the funeral. Hermione, on the other hand, was never in the Great Hall for more than five minutes. She would grab one of the assistants from St. Mungo's and would return later with someone on a stretcher.

Before the sun could lower in the sky, Severus met with the Order near the Forbidden Forest to give it a quick sweep. It was then that they found a group of Death Eater's congregated in a small clearing. They were outnumbered, restrained, and taken to the castle where the Ministry (which had been reclaimed, under Kingsley's control) was contacted.

As the few Death Eaters were paraded into the Great Hall, screeches sounded, along with gasps and exclamations. The Order kept a boundary between them and the angry people wanting to have justice right then and there. Thankfully, the Ministry arrived soon, and escorted the prisoners to Azkaban.

Hermione entered the room just as the Death Eaters were leaving, and took a step back in shock. She watched for a moment as they were taken from the room before turning her eyes on Severus.

The loss of blood Severus endured in the Boathouse was starting to affect him now; he could feel how weak he was becoming. He knew, for the most part, he was now safe, and his body began relaxing itself. Severus casually took a seat and attempted to appear like he was viewing the room around him.

Hermione was at his side a moment later, placing her hand on his shoulder. Her fingers gently brushed his face and he winced as her fingers touched something.

"Have you taken a Blood Replenisher yet? You look extremely pale,"

"I'm always pale,"

"Severus," she sighed, staring into his eyes.

"No, I haven't,"

She sighed at his stubbornness before pulling out her wand and pointing it at his face. He stared at her with questioning eyes.

"You have a gash on your cheek. I want to heal it before you get an infection,"

He listened to her whisper softly to herself while gently moving her wand back and forth for a few moments. Severus watched as she suddenly walked away and spoke to Madame Pomfrey for a few short moments before being handed a small red bottle. She returned and handed the bottle to him. Sighing, he swallowed the contents quickly, making a face at the bitter taste. Hermione took the bottle from him and gently brushed his hair from his forehead.

"There, at least you have some color back,"

Severus stood then, and the two slowly walked out of the Great Hall and paused in the doorway that separated the Entrance Hall from the outside. Hermione sat down on the stair, and Severus swiftly followed her. The sun was setting in the sky, painting the scene around them in a dark red color. Severus turned his eyes to her face, and studied her casually. She was exhausted, but highly relieved. Her eyes no longer flashed with fear and panic. She turned her eyes from the sky to him, and gave him a small smile.

Before he could smile back at her, she slid against his side, and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing deeply. Severus rested his cheek on her head, closing his eyes.

"What do we do now?" her soft voice suddenly cut through the air.

Severus slowly peeled his eyes open as he pondered her question. What would they do now? What would they _all _do now? After another long paused, Severus closed his eyes again.

"We rebuild,"

The answer seemed to set her mind at ease because she remained silent as the sun continued to set, and Minerva called everyone back into the Great Hall to sleep. Hermione and Severus stood close to each other, though not touching, as they entered the room, listening to Minerva.

Most of the dead had been claimed, and most of the people moved to St. Mungo's. The remaining were moved to another room while the injured were moved to the Hospital Wing, leaving the Great Hall empty.

"I think it would be wise if everyone who will be remaining here tonight, to sleep in the Great Hall. We may keep this in effect for a while, until we are certain that all threats are banished from the grounds. If we all stay together, we will be better protected,"

As she spoke, sleeping bags began to materialize out of nowhere, and people began dragging them off and choosing a spot to rest for the night. Remus then spoke up behind Severus.

"Those of you who are returning home, please gather here. You cannot Apparate on school grounds seeing as the protective enchantments have been replaced. We will be walking into Hogsmeade where you can Apparate or take the Floo Network,"

People began walking towards Lupin and Tonks, and Hermione and Severus stepped off to the side. Lupin's eyes then fell on Hermione, and he stepped forward with a tired smile. Severus watched as she wordlessly embraced the thin man, both with tears in their eyes. Lupin pulled away from her, and spoke to her in low tones, causing her eyes to widen for a moment. Another few words and she smiled gently at him.

"I think that we'll stay here for tonight, but thank you for the offer,"

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then, bright an early,"

"Say hello to Teddy for me," Hermione said smiling again.

"Will do,"

Lupin gave a nod in Severus' direction before leaving the castle with the group of people wishing to return home. Hermione returned to his side, lost in her own thoughts. After a moment of silence, Severus glanced down at her.

"What did Lupin say?"

Her eyes flashed to his for a moment before she looked back at the people leaving the room.

"He said that Teddy wouldn't have had parents if it weren't for you,"

Severus looked away from her, embarrassed.

"We should turn in, I'm sure Minerva will allow you to sleep downstairs. I've strengthened the wards on the rooms,"

"Would it be alright if we stayed here?" she asked shyly. "I…I'd like to be with everyone,"

"I'll go get us sleeping bags," Severus replied, happy to turn the conversation away from himself.

Within ten minutes, everyone was settled down and most were asleep already. Severus and Hermione had taken a spot near the corner of the room, and Ron followed, though Harry claimed the spot between him and Hermione, causing Ron to grumble loudly. The lights were extinguished moments later, leaving the clear and starry ceiling above them.

Severus, even though he was exhausted, couldn't seem to find sleep. His mind was whirling with thoughts, all fighting their way forward for his attention. He had made it, all the way through this war. He was alive. Severus was beginning to realize just how lucky he was. He could have died in that Boathouse, cold and wet, if it weren't for Hermione. He could have died if he had walked with Albus a little farther. He could be at peace right now, but he knew that he would never be able to abandon Hermione like that. It would have been selfish for him to choose death over life.

For the first time ever, he had publically fought for what he believed in, and he had finally felt good about himself. He was doing the right thing, even if others didn't realize that. No doubt he would be arrested because he was a known Death Eater. He would most likely be tried, and executed. He killed Albus Dumbledore.

Perhaps if he showed them his memories? Severus suddenly remembered that he had given Wonderboy his memories. Well, that explained why Potter stared at Severus like he had fifteen heads all day.

A small movement beside him caused his mind to freeze for a moment. His blanket was suddenly lifted, and a warm body was suddenly pressed against his. Severus was only using the sleeping bag as a cushion between his body and the cold stone. Actually sleeping in a bag, to Severus, was a ridiculous notion.

"I can't sleep," Hermione whispered into the darkness.

Instinctively, Severus opened his arms to her, and she eagerly snuggled against him. He shut his eyes as her fingers traced patterns on his shirt. That was until he felt her tears leaking onto his neck.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Nothing, I'm being ridiculous," she muttered, furiously swiping at her face. "I keep thinking about the Boathouse. You-you could have died there. For a moment I thought that you had. Your eyes…they weren't right. What if I had done one thing differently? I could have killed you,"

"You did everything perfectly, and I'm here now. That's all that matters,"

"I know, it just scares me that it was that close,"

"You were close also," he said quietly.

"How?"

"You call flinging yourself in front of Voldemort a smart decision?"

"I suppose you're right," she sighed and after a moment added "I've never heard you say his name before,"

"I think it's about time we call him for what he is,"

The two fell silent and Hermione began to nervously played with his buttons. Eventually, she propped herself up on her elbow and peered into his face in the dark, though he knew she couldn't see him.

"I wanted to tell you before; about Lupin and Tonks…it was extremely brave, what you did,"

Severus could feel his face heat up, and thanked the world that it was dark in the room. He cleared his throat and licked his lips.

"It was nothing,"

"Yes it was," she murmured, resting her cheek back on his chest. "You're the bravest man I've ever met…and I wish that everyone knew you how I know you,"

Severus was sure that it was possible for a person to die of pure embarrassment. He wasn't one to take praise, and usually ignored it when it was given or secretly appreciated it. But to hear the words from her lips, made his heart flutter.

"I know you're going to pretend none of this happened because you're stubborn," she murmured with a smile in her voice.

Severus gave a small smile before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	49. Double Spy

**Hey everyone. I'm extremely worn out right now, and I know that this chapter is going to be fairly short, by I hope that you enjoy and review anyway. Still looking for that 500 by the end :)**

**I don't know if I'll be able to update next week. Things are getting pretty crazy around here.**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Severus awoke before most of the others. Hermione was wrapped around his body and sleeping soundly on his chest. The two couldn't be seen together; he was well aware that neither of them could explain things quite yet. Slowly, Severus began trying to slide her off of him, but the movement woke her up.<p>

"What are you doing?" she asked still half asleep.

"I'm going to talk with Minerva, go back to sleep,"

She didn't protest, and allowed him to get up before claiming the warmth of his spot for her own. Severus bent down and made sure she was properly covered due to the chill that was in the room. Weasley and Potter were still sound asleep, thankfully. Brushing her hair from her face, he set of to find Minerva.

Severus found Minerva with a few other adults standing in the Entrance Hall.

"Oh Severus, I'm glad you're up. We're going to start reconstruction today, and I think that you should take half of the volunteers, and I'll take the other half. How does that sound?"

"Fine," he grumbled, rubbing his face.

"Good," she replied, far too chipper for the morning.

By noon, a list of volunteers was complete, and then the list was divided. Severus found that he was in control of a large amount of people, most of whom were eyeing him warily. Minerva gave the instructions. Severus would start in the courtyard, and Minerva would start with the bridge leading to Hagrid's hut.

Hermione was assigned to Minerva's group, along with the two boys, and she gave him a small yet sad smile when they parted ways. Severus' group was finished early, and then set to repairing the Great Hall and the Entrance Hall. The large pieces of the wall needed to be handled by more than one witch and wizard, while others watched for unstable pieces on the verge of collapsing. On more than one occasion, many were forced to dive out of the way in fear of being crushed.

Severus didn't have a chance to see Hermione for the rest of the day. Minerva sent her Patronus to deliver her message, and the next time he got to see her was when the sun had set, and the tired crew came shuffling into the Great Hall, covered with dirt and dust. Hermione was the last one in, looking more exhausted than the rest of group. Her face was pale and drawn while having a large amount of dust on her skin. When her eyes landed on him, her shoulders visibly sunk in relief. She quickly said her goodbyes to the boys and headed over to him.

"Hey," she said with a sigh and a smile.

"Hello," he replied, taking in her tattered appearance.

"I know, I look terrible. We were working in the first floor corridor, it was demolished,"

"You look exhausted,"

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile.

As dinner was being served, Hermione made her way out of the Great Hall to wash up before eating. When she returned, she quickly took a seat beside Severus with a breathtaking smile. He felt like the world was staring at them, and she seemed to sense the same thing because she barely tore her eyes from her plate unless directly spoken to. Severus wasn't hungry. He hadn't had an appetite for a few days, he just wanted to work and sleep.

"Pushing your food around doesn't change the fact that you haven't eaten," Hermione mumbled quietly, not looking at him.

"I'm not hungry," Severus replied, placing his fork down.

For the first time since they sat down, the two looked at one another. Hermione was eyeing him as if the fact he hadn't eaten a full meal in days was written on his face.

"I'll be alright," he muttered, brushing off left over dust from her cheek before standing and leaving the Great Hall.

People milled about for an hour or so before they began finding their spots from the previous night and settling in. As people began settling in, Severus' eyes caught Weasley arguing with Hermione. His face was red, and he had a furious look in his eyes. Hermione spoke calmly, making sure that he caught every word. Severus turned and headed outside to stare up at the stars.

Reconstruction would take months, Severus was well aware of that. He wondered if they would be able to open for next year. Minerva would try her hardest, he was well aware of that. She loved the school just as much as he did, if not more.

Strolling forward, Severus took a seat on the recently repaired bench. Perhaps he'd sneak down to his private lab and read over the notes he kept for his own potion? Even after working all day, he wasn't tired. Physical labor did little to tire him; he needed _mental _work to exhaust him.

The courtyard had been repaired to its former glory, and Severus finally felt comfortable sitting in the school. It looked as if nothing had destroyed the school in the first place, but he was well aware that if he allowed his eyes to glance upward, he would find much more destruction, enough destruction that would take months to fix.

He was pulled from his musings as Hermione sat beside him with a sigh. She followed his eyes to the night sky and gave a deeper sigh.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Mm,"

"How are you holding up?"

He lowered his eyes to her face for a moment before smiling and looking back up at the sky.

"Always the worrier,"

"Only because people don't worry for themselves. If you lost an arm you wouldn't worry about it,"

They were silent for a few moments, breathing in the cool night air.

"What did Weasley want?" Severus asked casually.

"He's just a little upset," Hermione replied, playing nervously with the hem of her shirt.

The days passed in much of the same fashion as before. They would all sleep in the Great Hall, wake up so they could go to work repairing the school, before all returning to the Great Hall for dinner. Severus would often sit alone outside after eating very little of his meal and watching Weasley fight with Hermione. She would join him a short while later where they would briefly speak of the day they had. Then, they would restart the process. Severus was well aware that something was eating at her, but he knew better than to try and pry it out of her. The last time he had done that, she had shouted at him and they had ignored one another for almost a week. When the time was right, she would come to him, he knew that.

Severus often heard from Minerva that Hermione was always going off on her own and taking on larger projects than she was capable of handling alone. He mentioned this to her and she scoffed.

"I can do it if they would just leave me alone,"

"Don't endanger yourself trying to show off, this isn't a lesson where you can earn points if you get the answer right,"

"I'm not trying to prove anything! There are so many of us, we don't need just two groups. Each group can be split at least four times. Do you know how much ground we can cover?"

"This is what Minerva wants, and you are to follow her instructions,"

"Fine," she finally pouted.

Severus began to notice that she would be the first one awake in the morning, and the last to sleep at night. She thought she was being sly, pretending to go to sleep only to get back up forty-five minutes later to speak with Minerva and a fairly large group of people who often worked until sunrise. Mostly the people who worked through the night had things to take care of during the day and couldn't afford to get away, so they came at night, when everyone who worked throughout the day slept on the floor.

She was wearing herself down working so much, along with the help of a burden she seemed to be carrying alone.

Yet, while she wandered off in the middle of the night with Minerva and her crew, Severus often left to go down to his private labs to brew things to help settle his mind. He would brew for hours, getting only two hour of rest before having to go back to physical labor.

One particular night, Severus was disturbed in his brewing. He was sitting at his work station, leaning over a large book with his glasses on. The handle of his door was moved and he peered up to see Hermione's head poking through.

"I was wondering where you went," she muttered, sleep thick in her voice.

He watched as she stepped in and closed the door behind her, wrapping her sweater tighter around her thin frame. She shuffled over to him and sat in the empty stool.

"What are you reading at six in the morning?"

"Just theories that have been presented to the Potions community in the last ten years,"

"Are you working on something new?"

"No, I just like to see what other people think,"

"You're going to ruin your eyes by reading with only one candle,"

He gave her a look.

"I mean you're going to ruin them even more," she replied, rolling her eyes for effect.

Severus waved his wand at the cauldron which suddenly lifted and began filling bottles that were perfectly lined on the table.

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"Pepper-up. Madame Pomfrey asked me to brew another batch because she's nearly out,"

"At six in the morning?"

"I don't think that _my_ early morning activities should be questioned,"

Hermione stared at him for a moment with wide eyes, subconsciously wrapping her arms tighter around her midsection.

"What are you talking about?"

"It takes me longer than forty-five minutes to fall asleep, just for future reference,"

She sighed and lowered her face into her hands as her elbow rested on the table. Severus shut the book in front of him and replaced it to the shelf. She shook her head before running her hands through her ruffled hair and sitting up.

"I can't help it," she said quietly with her hands between her knees. "If I'm not doing something, I just think…think about everything that happened and it drives me insane,"

"You can't go forever. Eventually, your body will take control,"

"I know. Minerva sent me back to bed tonight. Were you awake for that?"

"Yes. I don't sleep until you come back,"

She laughed quietly.

"Who was I to think that I could outsmart a double spy?"

He smirked at her before packing the bottles up and sending them off to the Hospital Wing. The two left the room together and slowly made their way through the hallways of the school. Hermione took his hand in the dark, and he flinched slightly before relaxing into her touch. She suddenly yawned and Severus peered down at her.

"Let's go back to bed," Hermione said quietly.

Slowly, the two made their way back to the Great Hall, and instantly fell asleep.


	50. Scandal

**Hey! Sorry this is late, but I was exhausted from doing 5 1/2 hours of homework today. Keep the reviews coming! Still looking for that 500 and I know you all can do it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Another few weeks passed in much of the same way, though Hermione began to take less of a work load and catching up on sleep. They were making progress; nearly the entire first two floors were completely restored. Those who were helping at the start of the process began going home and very few remained. People had lives outside of Hogwarts, and Minerva was well aware of that fact. Soon, the two groups were combined and working together.<p>

Severus enjoyed resting outside in the courtyard after dinner, and Hermione often joined him. He watched each passing day as she became increasingly nervous around him, and he didn't know what to do about it. One night, Hermione returned to the school and Severus began his usual pondering the possible things that could be wrong with her. Tapping his foot on the ground and lifting his eyes upward, his thought process was suddenly interrupted by footsteps.

Turning his head, Severus found Hermione, standing in the entrance to the courtyard, her hair frizzy and her face clearly panicked. Her hands were clenched at her side and her eyes were flashing wildly.

"Ronald kissed me," she blurted out, clearly shocked at the words that had left her lips.

The two stared at one another, Severus withholding his reaction and Hermione anxiously waiting for it. Severus processed the information, over and over…and over again in his head. He had kissed her. He had _kissed_ her. He touched her. She was not his to touch. Severus swallowed and leaned back, pulling his eyes away from her.

"When?" he asked in the most casual voice he could manage.

"In the Chamber of Secrets…during the final battle," she mumbled.

Severus turned his eyes back to her, forcing his emotions back. She was ashamed, he could tell by her watering eyes. Scared – her hands were clenched and her eyes were wide. The only thing that could be heard was her heavy breathing.

"Is this what's been bothering you?"

And just like that, she cracked. With a sob she covered her face with her hands, taking deep sharp breaths. Severus panicked. He didn't know what to do with a hysterical woman. She lifted her head, allowing his to see the tears streaming down her face.

"It was my fault and I knew you'd be angry with me, then, he started threatening to tell you about it if I didn't end things with you! I don't want to and I kept telling him that it wasn't going to happen, and he keeps pushing and pushing. I don't want you to hate me,"

She ended with another wave of silent sobbing.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Severus said harshly while standing. "Did you willingly participate?"

Hermione raised her bloodshot eyes to his, her crying suddenly halted as she stared at him shocked.

"Of course not!" she snapped with a stuffy nose, appalled at the thought.

"Then I don't see the problem,"

Her shoulders sunk and her mouth hung open slightly.

"You're not…you're not angry at me?"

"I don't have a reason to be,"

"Oh," she whispered breathlessly.

"This is what you've been so skittish about?"

"I didn't think you noticed,"

"How could I not? It was like you were constantly walking on eggshells,"

She gave a deep sigh, appearing to have a weight physically taken off of her shoulders. Hermione walked forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, and he pulled her gently against his body. He felt her shaking against him.

"Were you really scared to tell me?"

"You're still somewhat intimidating, even after all this time,"

Severus smiled against the side of her head and tightened his hold on her. After a few moments her shivering stopped and he felt her head turn up towards him. Her lips pressed against his jaw, and his eyes closed as a sudden peacefulness washed over him. He felt her smile against his skin.

"You need to shave,"

"I've been a little busy," he volleyed back easily, turning his face towards hers.

Severus was struck with the tender smile on her face, suddenly so calm and peaceful. The smile slowly diminished until her eyes were suddenly looking for something in his own.

"When are we going to tell people?" she whispered quietly.

"I don't think now is the time," he replied, looking away from her eyes.

"Why not?"

"Things are still up in the air," he murmured, pulling away from her and turning his back to her gaze.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't want you involved…in things that do not concern you,"

"What…what do you mean?"

"The Ministry will, no doubt, learn of my…doings, and I don't want them to drag you into it,"

"But you didn't do anything wrong,"

He turned around and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I killed Albus Dumbledore, that alone is enough,"

"Then I'll tell them you didn't, we'll fight them. I'm not going to let them win, not after everything you've done for the entire wizarding world,"

"And then the Daily Prophet will drag your name through the mud,"

"I don't care; I'm not going to leave you by yourself to deal with all of this,"

"And what do you think people will say when they find out the previous Potions Master has a relationship with a previous student? Especially a student who was on the run with her two best friends and just happen to help defeat the most powerful wizard this world has ever seen,"

She crossed her arms over her chest, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Your point?"

He stared at her, seeing the confidence basically pouring off of her. She was going to be stubborn, and he knew that.

"I want you to stay out of this," Severus said in a warning tone.

"If I need to, I will get involved,"

Severus turned fully to stare at her. The confidence she was displaying made her radiant…and Severus didn't know how to handle her.

"You were just half scared to death because of some adolescent problem, and now you're willing to throw yourself in the middle of this scandal,"

She grinned at him, her arms lowering to her sides.

"I know; I feel great now," she said seeming full of life and happier than she had been since the battle. "I think I'm going to go to bed now,"

"Okay," Severus mumbled, failing to come up with a better response.

She turned away with a smile and strode toward the doors before coming to a quick stop. Turning around, she walked immediately up to him, grabbed his robes and pulled him down to her. Her lips coved his for a moment, not moving, simply feeling. Hermione pulled away with a small graceful smile.

"I'll see you inside," she said gently, patting his chest before turning away and walking to the school.

Severus remained outside a moment longer, until the lights went out in the Great Hall. Slowly, he made his way into the dark room, over to their usual spot. Settling down for the night, Severus turned to see Hermione on her side, her back facing him. Silently he rolled over and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. She sighed deeply and snuggled closer to him.


	51. Australia

**Hey! I know, this is so late. I haven't been to bed before 5 AM in a week, and one day I just didn't sleep at all, THAT'S how busy I've been. One of my classes I literally have to do about 6+ hours of homework a day. It's exhausting. **

**Sorry for the short chapter, it's all I can put up right now, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Also: This is a HxS fanfiction; Ronald can be as nasty as I want him to be. Plus, I see Ron as more desperate in this than malicious.**

**Reviews are GREATLY appreciated. **

* * *

><p>The next day, Hermione bounced around the school like she had gotten the best night of sleep in her life. Severus was exhausted just watching her. He also made sure to watch Weasley closely that day. He was brooding in the corner, and even Potter was off with Miss Weasley. The day went on as usual, and like every night, Weasley approached Hermione. Severus stood from his seat, ready to pounce. He watched the boy's face as he spoke quietly to Hermione. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide, in shock and then Hermione pushed past him and he stared after her. Relaxing, Severus took up his normal spot on the bench outside. Things were going extremely well, and Severus was not ready to reveal the relationship between him and Hermione. She would be forced into the spot light, which was something that he didn't want for her.<p>

Severus saw a shadow move in the shadows, and his eyes immediately locked on the figure. Stepping forward, the small light coming from the Great Hall illuminated the figure's face. Ronald Weasley stepped forward, slightly nervous, but determined. Severus tensed his body in preparation. For a moment, the two sized one another up.

"Leave Hermione alone," Weasley said in a slightly quaking voice.

"I'm not bothering her," Severus replied smoothly.

"You know what I'm talking about," the boy snapped, glaring deeply. "I want you to leave her alone,"

"That's her choice, not mine. If she wants me around, I will stay,"

"Well, she chose me! In the Chamber of Secrets! She's mine!"

Severus stood slowly, making sure not to make any sudden movements. The boy took a step back, unsure of what to think of the man in black.

"Mr. Weasley, I'll have to disagree with you,"

And suddenly, the red-haired boy was standing in front of him, pure rage pouring off of him.

"Do not touch her again," he hissed viciously.

Severus snapped, not being able to control himself any longer. He shoved Weasley against the stone wall in the dark, pressing his arm against his throat. The boy choked slightly, digging his nails into Severus' sleeve.

"I'm going to make this very clear for you. Leave her alone. She values your friendship, and that is all. If I hear of you threatening to black mail her with your serious lack of judgment in the Chamber of Secrets again, I can promise you, you will regret it every second of the rest of your life. Do you understand me?"

The boy's eyes had gone wide. After staring him down for another moment, Severus released his hold on Weasley's neck. He coughed slightly and rubbed his neck. Severus knew the boy was shocked; he had expected to catch Severus off guard and potentially win the battle. Slowly Weasley backed away, sizing Severus up. Severus remained as still as a statue. Weasley had often evaded Severus with Potter's aid, but there was nothing to save him now, and a moment later, he quickly left the courtyard with his fists clenched at his side.

Severus was pleased to find that his speech had made some impact on the boy; he seemed to be bothering Hermione less than usual, which Severus was very happy about. Progress was being made, and things were falling back into place, that was until Hermione didn't show up to dinner one night.

Severus peered around the room, expecting the girl to be talking to Minerva or someone else, but he found nothing. Potter and Miss Weasley were alone, and Weasley was still brooding in a corner by himself. What could she possibly be doing? Suddenly a note was being handed to him by some bumbling idiot. Tearing the paper open, he was met by Hermione's scrawl. It was clear that she was in a hurry.

_Severus,_

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you in person, but I can't waste any time trying to look for you. For the past month Remus has been attempting to locate my parents. It seems that they didn't stay put when they moved to Australia. The house they purchased was empty and no one knew where they had gone. Recently, Remus has found a lead, and he has asked me to accompany him, and I have to go. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll try to write as much as possible to keep you updated._

_Stay safe,_

_H _

Severus reread the note several times. The only thing Severus was concerned about was Lupin's ability to keep her safe in Australia. What if his transformation fell while she was with him? What if they were alone and she got hurt? Out of all the people that could have looked for her parents. Severus folded the note and slipped it into his pocket before heading to the dungeons and settling in his chambers for the night.

Nearly two weeks passed, and he hadn't gotten a single note from her. He had half a mind to go after her and see what was going on. Another few days passed before any word came from her. An owl swooped into the Great Hall and landed in front of him. Pulling the note from its leg, Severus immediately recognized her writing.

_Severus,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written, but its been busy around here. Remus and I follow leads nearly all day and night, and when we do get back to our rooms, we're exhausted. I barely have time to eat, let alone write. We're getting close; I can feel it, though I'm unsure of what to do when we do discover them. I have half a mind to let them stay there without their memories. I've been researching how to repair memories since I've been here, and it seems to be a tricky process that is not always promising, and may cause even more damage. I think that I've already done enough to them to last a life time. Oh, I have to go; Remus just returned from an errand and we have to pack up and move on. Hope to talk to you soon._

_-H_

Lifting his eyes from the parchment, Severus saw that many people were looking at him due to the fact that the large owl was still perched in front of him. He allowed the bird to eat his left over dinner roll before sweeping from the room and barricading himself in his room. Severus hadn't spoken more than a few words to anyone since Hermione left. He took a seat at his desk, and Crookshanks took his usual spot in Severus' lap. He pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill, dipping the tip into ink and positioning his hand over the page. Severus mulled the thoughts over in his head, trying to find something to say in response to Hermione's letter. After nearly ten minutes and numerous blotches on the page, Severus gave up and turned in for the night.

As the days drifted by, Severus spent more and more time alone and on his own repairing things. Potter kept his distance, shooting Severus odd glances most of the time, and Weasley sent daggers in his direction. Minerva tried to talk to him, but Severus could see the toll the war had taken on her. The two often spoke to one another, not having anyone else around them.

The school was coming back together, and Minerva was sure that they would be able to open for the new school year. Severus was doubtful, but he kept his thoughts to himself; he could see that it was the only thing Minerva was looking forward to.

More and more time passed, Hermione didn't write, and Severus was working long hours to keep his mind busy. The days began to follow a schedule, which Severus liked. He relished order. It had been a long time since his life had any order, and he was starting to feel more comfortable now that things began to repeat themselves every day. What Severus didn't like was awaking to insistent knocking on his door in the early morning. Groaning aloud, Severus climbed from bed, muttering about the cold stone against his feet. Finally reaching the door, he swung the portrait open, ready to yell. That was until he saw Minerva's disheveled hair and panic stricken face. She pushed through into his room and shut the door. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she was shoving the morning paper into his hand.

"Someone talked," she mumbled.


	52. For Her Own Good

**Hey! This is late, I know, but school work comes first. I'm sure most of you are going to be unhappy with this chapter, but I promise, everything will be fine in the end. Have faith.**

* * *

><p>Severus lowered his eyes to the paper and read the headline: <strong>HEADMASTER AND HEROINE – CONCEALED RELATIONSHIP! <strong>

Severus felt his mouth run dry. Their faces and names were plastered across the whole front page. His thoughts immediately darted to Hermione. Did she still get the Daily Prophet, or was she too busy? This is exactly why he wanted to keep things quiet for a little longer; they were going to drag her name through the mud and that was the last thing that he wanted for her. As Severus scanned the article, he found numerous mentions of his affiliation with Death Eaters. The paper slid from his hand, and Severus instantly made his way to his liquor cabinet. Even though he had just gotten out of bed, he needed a very large drink. Severus knew what was coming next – the Ministry would look into his past and activities, no doubt dragging Hermione down in the meantime. They'd question her on everything she did in the past year, and she would undoubtedly protect him and her friends to the point she would most likely get herself into trouble.

"What are you going to do?" Minerva asked as the liquid burned his throat.

"Find out who the rat is," he growled, heading towards the door.

Minerva stopped him (of course the small woman couldn't physically stop him if he didn't allow her to) and made him look at her.

"You need to think this through before you do anything rash,"

"Right," he muttered, ashamed that he had lost his head so easily.

Severus dropped onto the couch and leaned his head back, allowing his eyes to close in concentration. For the first time in his life, Severus had no idea how he was going to handle a situation. Never before had things been so personal. He knew he shouldn't have gotten so involved with her. He was going to destroy her life before it had even begun.

"Severus?" Minerva said quietly.

"Yes?"

"If I can help in anyway, please let me know,"

"No one can help," he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

"Don't hurt her,"

He opened his eyes and saw Minerva staring down at him with a stern face.

"I don't know how I can do anything without hurting her,"

Minerva seemed to know what Severus was thinking before he himself had pondered the thought.

"I'm sure that you two can work through things," she said quietly.

"I don't want her involved, Minerva. This is not her battle,"

"She's already involved,"

"Then I will just have to remove her from the picture,"

He watched as Minerva's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Severus!" she began but he stood and waved his hands at her.

"I don't want to talk about it,"

"She cares for you very much, you can't just do that to her!"

"I know she cares! I know! I cannot have her feeling the need to throw herself at the media's mercy because of this relationship,"

"And if you end it, what is going to stop her from doing that anyway?"

"Hopefully she'll hate me enough to leave me be,"

Minerva scoffed, much like how he did when he used to teach those monsters. His chest was tight with the thoughts buzzing around his head. Severus didn't want to tell her it was over; that was the last thing that he wanted. His throat tightened when images of her flashed through his mind. Her messy hair on the pillow in the morning, the crease between her brows when she read, the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, the way her wrist subtly twisted when casting charms, but especially the glow in her eyes when he secretly caught her gazing at him. He allowed himself another moment to revel in the thought of her warmth before he shut her behind the same door he kept Lily behind for nearly twenty years.

"It must be done," he said quietly, in a definite tone.

"Severus, you are going to hurt that poor girl,"

He knew she would be hurt. She trusted him with everything, and he knew that. She had so much faith in him, he didn't deserve half of what she gave him, and didn't understand it, but he loved her for it. He loved her more than…well, more than anything. She was his world and the reason he carried on through the war. Without her, he didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew that he couldn't allow her to be prosecuted along with him. She needed to move on with her life as he faced his crimes. Perhaps, when all of his business was settled, she would give him a second chance. For now, he had to let her go, for her own good.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat in a dingy hotel room, in some run down part of some town. She had lost track of where they were; it was easier than trying to remember. Remus was seated at the wobbly table in the corner, with a candle, reading over some book he had packed with him. He was so kind, and the thought brought a small smile to her face. He was always trying to help people, never asking for anything in return. The two had been acting like Muggles, taking regular transportation and rarely using magic; they were trying to be inconspicuous. On numerous occasions, Hermione told him to go back to his wife and child.<p>

"Absolutely not. I do miss them, but Tonks would be furious if I were to go home with no results. She says you've done so much for us that we need to do something in return," he replied with a tired smile.

Hermione stood and walked to the window. Everything was dark and dirty and it had been raining for nearly three days now. Sighing deeply, Hermione stared at the sky, her thoughts immediately drifting to Severus.

"You can't expect him to answer, I'm sure he is busy with the reconstruction," Remus said from the corner.

She knew that, she just missed him. Her eyes drifted to the ring that sat quietly on her finger. She felt a weight pressing down on her, not being able to see him in so long. It had nearly been a month. She had only sent him one or two quick notes, but he had not responded or sent word on what he was doing. Did he miss her? Hermione felt herself becoming desperate for some word from him, or anyone still at Hogwarts for that matter.

"Ready to go? I've got everything we need," Remus said, standing near the door.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh.

The two set out into the cold rain, following another lead. Supposedly people had seen people looking like her mother and father passing through the town less than a month ago. They were getting very close.

"Do you know where they are now?" Hermione asked a man moving crates of fruit under a green and white stripped awning.

"No, he only worked with me for a few weeks, and then said he was moving with his wife, that's all I know," he barked gruffly.

"Oh…thank you," Hermione said, standing in the rain, feeling more lost than ever.

The man went into his store, the bell jingling behind him as the door shut. Hermione and Remus stood silent in the rain as a car drove slowly by.

"Now what?" she asked.

Remus sighed, water running over his face and dripping from the tip of his nose. He was just as dejected at she was, she noted, as she saw his soaking wet sweater sticking to his small frame. Slowly the two began walking down the sidewalk, lost in their own thoughts. Hermione enjoyed the feeling of the cold rain pouring over her and seeping into her clothing. She felt hopeless. Eventually, Remus called a cab and pulled her into the dry interior. He murmured the address of their hotel to the driver and sat back with a sigh. The two didn't speak or look at one another. The drive was a blur, and Hermione only came to when the cab pulled to a stop in the dreary alley. The two climbed the rickety stairs and walked into the musty room. Remus instantly set to making tea, and Hermione sat at the wobbly table. What were they supposed to do now? What were they going to work with? Remus gave her shoulder a gently squeeze before setting a steaming cup of tea in front of her. They had been together long enough that he knew how she took her tea.

"Thank you," she mumbled, wrapping her fingers around the cup.

Remus took the other chair, bent over his cup, staring into the liquid. Hermione reached over and placed her hand on his thin arm, offering a small smile to him. When his eyes met hers, she gently squeezed his arm.

"I think it's time to go home," she murmured quietly.

"We can't give up now,"

"Remus, we don't have anything to go off of anymore," Hermione replied, pulling her hand away.

"We can keep looking,"

"For what? From all accounts we've had, they're happy with who they are now,"

"Don't you want to see your parents again, or attempt to restore their memories?"

"Of course I do. They'd probably be angry," Hermione murmured, thinking about the time in her basement when Severus had shown up and shouted at her parents. "What if it all goes wrong? The memory charm, I mean,"

"There are very capable people at St. Mungo's who specialize in these areas,"

"Remus, I've been reading about this, the odds of them getting their memories back…"

"At least try,"

Hermione stared into her cup for a long while, her mind darting every which way. She knew what she was going to do, deep down she knew what her answer was.

"If…if I find them, and they're happy…I'm going to leave them," she whispered quietly.

"Can you handle that?" Remus asked gently. Hermione pulled her eyes up to meet his tired ones. "Can you live with that decision and the fact that you'll never see them again?"

"I have you guys," Hermione offered, smiling slightly.

The rest of the day Remus remained buried in his books and Hermione remained seated near the window. As the hours drifted by, Remus discussed the next move they would make with Hermione periodically throwing in her two-sense. They turned in that night, confident with their plans.


	53. Goodbye

**Hey!**

**I finally finished my summer courses, so I PROMISE, every Tuesday there will be a new update. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I hope I didn't lose too many of you!**

**I'm curious: What is your favorite part of this story, and what is your least favorite part? I have mine, I was just wondering what everyone elses is!**

**Well, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Hermione was up early, ready to go. Just as the sun was rising, the two were checking out of their room. Hermione felt good; something was going to happen today. They pointedly made their way down the sidewalk, their eyes trained on the ground. A few more minutes and they reached the train station. Hermione quickly paid for the tickets, ignoring Remus' mumblings.<p>

Hermione had no idea where they were going, mostly relying on Remus to lead the way. They were in the middle of a large city, Hermione stared at the large buildings and tried to avoid the rushing people.

"Which way?" she asked, standing off to the side.

"Um," Remus had a map pulled to his face, tracing the lines with his eyes. "This way," he finally said, pointing right.

The two traveled together, navigating their way through the streets. Hermione lifted her eyes, looking to the left side of the street for a moment, and something caught her eye. A flash of black robes, whipping around the corner. Her heart jumped for a moment, thinking that Severus was there, until she realized that something was wrong with the way the robe moved. That and no one else seemed to notice the man. They weren't _his_ robes. Hermione had her wand out before Remus even noticed she had fallen behind. Keeping her guard up, she grabbed the sleeve of his sweater, pulling him to a stop.

"I think we're being followed,"

Remus had his wand out a moment later, glancing quickly around. Hermione turned around, and saw the flash again.

"They're behind us,"

Quickly the two darted down an alley, breaking into a run. They didn't get far before something exploded behind them. Hermione ducked behind a dumpster while Remus hid in a doorway. Their eyes met for a moment before another hail of spell fire caused them to shield themselves. Silently, the two began firing back, making sure to stay out of the way as much as possible. Hermione could feel them getting closer; hear their footsteps scuffle as they searched for cover. The bricks above her head suddenly exploded, covering the two in debris. As Hermione lifted her head, she saw Remus jump out, firing a powerful spell down the alley way. Everything fell silent after that. Remus quickly helped Hermione to her feet and the two slowly crept down the alley towards the pile of black robes. Hermione paused, allowing Remus to approach the figure.

"He's stunned," he murmured over his shoulder.

She stepped forward just as he turned the figure onto its back.

"He's a Death Eater,"

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I remember seeing him at the school, fighting Kingsley, I think,"

"What is he doing here?" Hermione whispered, afraid that she already knew the answer to her question.

"My first thought? They all probably know where Severus' loyalties lie now, and Death Eaters aren't known for letting their grudges go so easily,"

"They're getting to him through me,"

"Maybe we're jumping to conclusions,"

Hermione was on the verge of agreeing with him, until a figure appeared at the end of the alley.

"Remus!"

The figure lifted their arm as they took a step forward. Hermione felt fingers wrap around her wrist and then felt the uncomfortable feeling of being pulled through space. The two landed on the ground with a thud. Hermione sat up and looked around. They were in a different alley.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked, standing.

"A few grids over, I would guess. Far enough away that he can't find us,"

After a few minutes the two rejoined the people on the sidewalk, keeping their hands locked on their wands and their guards up. The rest of the day they followed up on leads, though both had their minds elsewhere. Just as they were getting closer, businesses began shutting down, forcing Hermione and Remus to find lodgings for the night. Even as the lights went out, neither slept – Hermione thinking about her parents, and Remus waiting for another attack.

When Hermione awoke the next morning, Remus was already dressed and ready to go. As she dressed, she felt a surge of guilt. He shouldn't be here with her; he should be with his family. He was so eager to help her, always pushing for answers that she was willing to let go. Hermione had accepted the fact that she may never see her parents again. She didn't like the idea, but she accepted it. When she was ready, the two packed their few belongings and set out. Remus had an unusual pep in his step.

The day was hot, and Hermione was tired as well as on edge, awaiting another attack. She watched the sun hover high in the sky and begin to lower. Remus was darting across the street, heading into a shop, but Hermione couldn't bring herself to follow. She paused at a store selling fruit. Picking up a peach, she inhaled deeply, feeling her mouth water at the aroma. A bell jingled from the door. Hermione placed the fruit down, seeing beautiful red apples one row over.

"Hello dear, how can I help you?" a soft voice asked.

Hermione turned her head, her hand half extended towards the apples. Her mouth immediately went dry as her eyes fell on the woman – the woman who was unmistakably her own mother. The woman had a smile on her face, awaiting a reply that was stuck in Hermione's chest.

"Dear?"

Hermione stared for a moment longer, feeling her eyes starting to water.

"No," she rasped out, licking her lips quickly. "No, thank you,"

"Alright," the woman replied, beaming at her.

Hermione turned her eyes to the window where she immediately found her father behind the counter of the store, smiling and chatting with the customer who was waiting for their items to be bagged. He placed the various fruits into a brown paper bag, folding it over neatly before handing the bag to the old man and waving goodbye.

Remus was just returning from the shop across the street after a few minutes just as Hermione and the woman ended their conversation. He was telling her of what he found out, but she was watching the man and woman inside the store.

"Mary and Jack," Hermione whispered.

"What?"

"They changed their names to Mary and Jack Patterson,"

Remus turned his eyes to the store and saw a man and woman, looking just like the photo Hermione gave him to reference.

"They moved here a year ago. She said they can't remember much of their lives before the move," Hermione could feel the tears spilling over. "Of course they can't remember. She said she always wanted to visit England,"

"Hermione-"

"It's fine. I think we should try and find a place to sleep,"

Hermione began walking away, slightly dazed. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be with Severus, the one thing that was completely solid in her life. Remus fell into step behind her, keeping his eyes forward.

"Excuse me!"

Hermione froze instantly, hearing the footsteps behind her. The woman reached her, just as Hermione turned to look at her. The woman was so kind looking; it broke Hermione's heart knowing that she had taken her memories away.

"I'm sorry to be so nagging, but have we met before? Your face seems so…familiar,"

Hermione's lips stretched into a sad smile as she shook her head.

"No, we've never met,"

"Okay," the woman said smiling. "Have a nice day,"

"You too,"

Hermione watched as the woman turned back around and returned to her store. Remus didn't push her, and Hermione didn't speak a word about it. The two managed to find a run-down hotel, booking a room for a week. Hermione didn't sleep that night; her mind was replaying the various options she had and weighing the severity of her decision. Once she made her choice, there would be no going back. The next morning, Remus was walking on eggshells around her, further adding to her distress.

"Did you hear anything last night?" Remus asked her.

"I wasn't paying any attention, why?"

"Someone kept walking past the door,"

"Maybe it was just people coming back late," she offered, not really bothered by the idea.

"No, it was the same person. They were standing in front of the door for quite a while until I made a noise. They left quickly and didn't return,"

"You don't think…another Death Eater?"

"I wouldn't discount it,"

Hermione let that theory wash over her. They were certainly being followed. After their encounter in the alley way, Hermione was sure the man had returned to his friends and told them everything. She was shocked that someone hadn't come into the room last night. What were they waiting for? Racking her brain, she couldn't remember hearing anything that night, but her mind was otherwise occupied. A sinking feeling in her stomach made her realize that their time was running short; eventually, those men would find them and she knew they couldn't be so lucky two times in a row.

"Do you think we should find another place to stay tonight? We should keep moving," she offered.

"I think that would be best," Remus agreed quietly.

So, when they finally had breakfast, they backed up and headed out, keeping their heads down and eyes peeled. The two stumbled across a shabby hotel, and quickly got a room. Hermione knew Remus was going to talk to her before he could open his mouth.

"So…what are you going to do?"

She had thought about it all day, and still she was unsure. She was sure of her choice, just unsure about how she would handle her choice in the long run.

"I'm…I'm going to leave them,"

The room was completely silent, and Hermione wouldn't raise her eyes to his face. This was going to be difficult, she knew, but she was willing to sacrifice her happiness for theirs. Hermione knew that she had caused them enough pain already, though they didn't know it anymore.

"You sure?"

"Yes, it's for the best,"

After a few minutes, Hermione raised her eyes to his face.

"I'd like to see them today so we can start home tomorrow. I can't keep you from your family any longer,"

"Sure," Remus replied, giving her a gentle smile.

Hermione didn't remember much of the journey back to her parent's store, but what felt like moments later, they were there. She didn't go inside, but looked through the window, watching her parents smile and talk to one another. Hermione caught the woman's eye, and instantly picked out two peaches. By the time she walked inside, the woman was at the door.

"Hello again," she said smiling.

"Hi," Hermione offered lamely.

"Are you ready to check out?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione offered handing over the peaches.

The woman headed back towards the register where her husband was rearranging some magazines. Hermione watched her father's slender hands make quick work of his task, reminding her of when he used to fix things at home. He caught her eye, and she smiled weakly at him as she paid for the peaches. Taking the bag, Hermione smiled, looking into her mother's eyes.

"Goodbye," Hermione said quietly, before turning to her father and offering the same sentiments.

"Have a nice day," the man replied smiling.

"You too,"

Hermione left the shop, knowing full well that she would never see her parents again.


	54. I Love You

**Hey everyone :D**

**Keep the reviews coming! I'm curious to see how many we can get before the story is over!**

**I'm anxious to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Remus was making travel plans as Hermione finished the packing. They would take a Portkey to London, then Apparate to Remus' home where Hermione would stay for a night before going to Grimmauld Place where Harry would be.<p>

Hermione was pleased with the work they had done. She knew that her decision was something she would have to live with, but she knew her parents would be happy. As her thoughts drifted slowly, an owl tapping at the window suddenly yanked her back to present. The owl was one of the larger ones she had ever seen. Immediately she saw there was a large document strapped to its leg, so Hermione quickly opened the window.

The owl glided in and came to a rest on the table, sticking its leg out.

"Hello," Hermione said, gently scratching the animal's head and untying the papers.

Breaking the Ministry of Magic wax seal, Hermione unfolded the papers. Her eyes scanned the document before freezing on one word. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as the blood drained from her face.

"What is it?" Remus asked.

Hermione felt her muscles going weak as her hands tightened on the paper. The one word screamed at her: DIVORCE.

Remus looked over her shoulder, reading the document.

"He filed for divorce? When did you two decide this?"

"We-we didn't! I…I don't understand. What happened?"

Her shock was being replaced by sadness. What could she have done to make him go as far as filing for divorce? She has only been away for a few weeks! They had been fine! So why? What had she done? Racking her brain, Hermione tried to pinpoint what went wrong. Her sadness was dissipating quickly by the anger that was filling her chest. He waited until she was halfway across the world to do this? The coward!

Grabbing her things, Hermione darted to the door.

"Where are you going?" Remus called.

"I'm going home, right now. He's not just going to send some papers to me and expect me to just give in,"

"Well, hang on," Remus muttered, grabbing his things.

The two left the room, and Hermione stormed down the street, ready to confront Severus. Remus directed Hermione to the right address and the two entered the small apartment where the Portkeys were produced.

"We need a Portkey to London, immediately," Hermione snapped.

"Well, that's going to be a little extra on such short notice," the fat man muttered.

"That's fine,"

Hermione anxiously watched as the man pulled out a broken hairbrush and his wand. Remus gave him the specific address as Hermione grinded her teeth together. The man was working at an excruciatingly slow pace, grinding on her nerves. Finally, he tossed the brush in the middle of the room.

"One minute," the man said, checking his watch.

Hermione bent down and touched the hairbrush with one hand, the divorce paper crushed in the other. Remus assumed the same position, and moments later, they were being spun around quickly before being deposited on the ground. Hermione instantly jumped up as Remus grabbed her shoulders.

"I think you should just take a moment to calm down,"

"I can't. I'm not going to let him do this without an explanation," she muttered, digging for Remus' luggage in her bag.

She handed him his belongings, before looking up at him.

"Thank you for everything, really. I couldn't have done it without you. Give my best to Tonks and Teddy,"

"I will,"

Hermione instantly Apparated as close to Hogwarts as she possible could. Her heart was pounding, but that didn't stop her as the school came into view. The sun was still low in the sky, but the school was shining brightly with golden sunlight. The sight offered Hermione a small moment of calm before she reached the gates. Professor Flitwick was there, standing guard. Upon seeing her, he forced a smile, Hermione could see how awkward he had become at her appearance, and let her pass. Hermione forced a smile on her face, and didn't say a word as the school grew larger and larger.

Finally, she reached the courtyard, eyes locked on the large doors of the Great Hall. Even though she was beyond furious at this moment, the school was beautiful. Its former grandeur was slowly but surely coming back. People were milling about, most staring at her and whispering. Hermione burst through the front doors, impressed with what has been done so far. Now where was he?

Darting up the stairs, Hermione nearly collided with Minerva.

"Hermione! I didn't know you were coming back today!"

"Professor, where is he?"

"Who?"

"Severus,"

Minerva suddenly became very uncomfortable and began smoothing her robes out.

"He's in the Defense classroom, doing paperwork,"

Hermione barely spared her a glance as she ran up the stairs, finding a secret passage way to the Defense floor. The hallway was empty, and for that she was happy. Her feet were striking the stone in a sharp staccato beat, matching the frantic beating of her heart. The door was looming closer and closer. In a flash she flung the door open, and found him sitting at the desk in the front of the classroom. He lifted his head as she stormed into the room, straight towards him.

"What is this?" she hissed, finally reaching the desk and throwing the papers in front of him.

He was paler than usual, Hermione noted, as he pulled off his reading glasses and placed his quill down.

"I think you of all people are capable of reading," he replied smoothly.

"Why? That's what I want to know, why?"

Hermione saw that he wouldn't look her in the eyes as he pushed the papers slightly away from himself.

"Our contract is fulfilled; there is no reason for it to be active any longer,"

"Stop talking about our relationship like it was just some-some job! What happened that you suddenly think we can't do this? Look at me!" she snapped, placing her palms on the desk.

Severus finally raised his eyes to hers, forcing himself behind those walls Hermione knew all too well. He was trying to be cold and distant, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was struggling to do just that from her.

"Who is she?" Hermione blurted out.

"What?" he asked, seeming appalled by the idea.

"I can't come up with any other reason for you doing this except that you found someone else. Who is she? Is she intelligent? She would have to be for you to like her,"

"There isn't anyone else!" he snapped, showing his first real emotion since she walked in the room. "How can you even-"

"You can't tell me that you don't feel anything, I can see it in your eyes. You may be a spy, but I can tell that you're lying,"

He stared at her for a long moment.

"I don't feel anything,"

Hermione could feel her heart fall into her stomach as her eyes slowly began to well.

"I don't believe you," she said quietly, standing to her full height. "I don't believe you for one second. You may be able to fake your way out of anything, but you can't fake this. I am not going to sign those papers until you talk to me like a human being,"

"Stop acting like a child and just sign the damn paper!" Severus snapped.

"No!"

"Why?!"

"Because I'm in love you!"

Hermione froze; she had just blurted out her deepest secret. Severus looked as if he had been struck, immediately leaning back in his chair. She knew she must look like a deer caught in headlights, but through her embarrassment, Hermione remained eye contact, gauging his reaction. He was taken off guard, clearly, but he wasn't going to crack, she could see. He wasn't going to say anything about her confession, and she felt hurt that he wouldn't acknowledge what she had kept quiet for months.

"You're a coward," Hermione mumbled, shaking her head at him.

She gave a quick glance at the papers, making them to burst into flames, causing Severus to jump up and away from the desk. He met her eyes, allowing his rage to boil in his own. Hermione didn't say a single word to him as she stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

She couldn't believe it! What was he thinking?! Hermione would fight him until the very end on this. Not until he sat her down and explained his reasons to her would she even consider signing those papers which were now burning on his desktop. She was beyond furious with him.

Hermione had no idea what she was doing, or where she was going. She still had some money left over from her trip, and she decided to see if the Leaky Cauldron had a room. She just needed to be alone for a while to think about her current situation. Keeping her head held high, Hermione left the school, refusing to look behind her, allowing the front gates to slam behind with a resounding clang. The moment she had left the enchantments, Hermione Apparated to an alley in Diagon Alley. Before entering the stream of people, she raised her hood to hide herself. The last thing she needed was people recognizing her on the streets.

Almost silently she made her was to the dingy place, slipping inside and heading straight to the owner.

"I'd like a room," Hermione mumbled quietly.

"Sure," the man said passing across the ledger book for her to sign her name.

Hermione did, making sure to use her maiden name. The man looked at her name, and his eyes widened before flashing back to her.

"Miss Granger!"

"I'd like to keep my presence here a secret, please," she mumbled.

"Certainly, certainly. Follow me,"

Moments later she found herself walking up a narrow staircase and to the top floor of the building. The owner was being overly gracious, and Hermione quickly said her thanks before locking the door after his departure. She remained sprawled out across the bed, feeling alone and afraid, not knowing what her future held. She had no home – her parents had sold it before the move. Severus – well that was out of the question. She couldn't impose on Remus any more than she already had. Ron was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. And Harry…well, she didn't actually know what Harry was up to as of late.

Moving for the first time in hours, Hermione fished out her parchment and quill, scribbling a hasty note to Harry telling him where she was and that she hoped he would call at his earliest convenience, and he did not disappoint. Within a half hour of sending the note, there was a knock at her door. She peered through the peephole and saw a familiar mess of black hair with sparkling green eyes. Hermione wasted no time in throwing the door open.

"Harry!" she cried, flinging herself on him.

"Hey," he greeted warmly, wrapping his arms around her.

The two friends simply embraced one another. It had been a long while since they had seen one another, and neither knew that they were both completely and utterly lost since the war had finally ended. Finally, Hermione pulled away, making sure no tears had escaped her eyes.

"It's so good to see you," she said, genuinely happy to see his face.

"It's nice to see you too, what have you been up to?"

"Come in, come in," she said dragging him inside.

They both sat on the bed, Hermione jittery with the excitement of Harry's visit.

"How's Ginny?" Hermione asked, anxious to find familiar ground.

"She's good," Harry mumbled shyly.

"That's good, I'm glad to hear it,"

"What about you? What have you been doing? You've been gone for weeks,"

Hermione felt her smile falter before immediately failing all together.

"I've been looking for my parents with Remus,"

"How did that go?"

"We found them,"

"Well that's great!"

"I left them in Australia,"

"Why?"

"They were happy there and any attempt to repair their memories would have most likely done more harm than good,"

"So where are you going to live now?" Harry asked.

"Here,"

"You can't live here,"

"Harry, I don't have much of a choice,"

"You can come and live with me,"

"I couldn't impose on you,"

"Sirius left me his house, and I'm the only one there. There are about a dozen empty rooms, and I could really use the company,"

"Are you sure?"

"Hermione, you're my best friend,"

"Okay," Hermione said smiling. "Give me a week to tie up some things at the school and then I'll move in,"

"Tie up what things?" Harry asked, sounding like he was egging her on.

"I want to talk to Professor McGonagall about taking Year Seven tests so I can officially finish school and maybe start looking for an apprenticeship somewhere,"

Harry suddenly appeared very uncomfortable, and Hermione studied him closely. He looked everywhere in the room but her eyes.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

He dropped his eyes to the floor.

"That night, in the Boathouse…Snape gave me his memories,"

Hermione stared at Harry as her pulse quickened.

"I know," she said, licking her lips. "I was there,"

"Hermione…a lot of them pertained to you,"

"Oh God,"

The words fell from her lips before she could stop them.

"I've been thinking about that night, the memories, and what happened in the Boathouse,"

"Harry-"

"You don't have to apologize," he said offering her a smile. He knew her too well. "It doesn't concern me one way or another who you're involved in, as long as they're treating you right. I just want to know the story, from start to finish,"

Hermione flopped back on the bed.

"It started with the Occlumency lessons. Severus saw things that I never told anyone and I saw things that he never told anyone. We became friends, I guess. Malfoy started trying to attack me, mainly through my parents. He was going to…force me to marry him so he could turn me over to Voldemort, but Severus relayed the information in time, though Malfoy had become…physically violent,"

"Did Snape do something about it?"

"He only suggested that I not go anywhere alone,"

"What happened after that?"

"After Slughorn's party we all went to Grimmauld Palce, and then Christmas, well,"

Hermione held her hand up, presenting the back of it to Harry, whose eyes immediately locked on the silver band.

"I noticed it a while ago, I just never said anything," he mentioned with a smile.

"I figured you had,"

"So, you and Snape-"

"We were married in the library,"

"Why? I mean, why did you two have to go that far?"

"It was supposed to be a contract to insure your safety. Being married to Severus, he could bring me to Voldemort while simultaneously protecting me. My job was to buy you time and give false leads,"

"You-you _went_ to him?"

"Yes,"

"What did he do?"

"That's not important," Hermione said, slightly flinching at the memory.

Harry nodded, and allowed her continue.

"I was basically smuggled into Hogwarts when the year started. Then the Carrows came, and Severus was so desperately trying to stop them from hurting people, it was driving him nearly insane. And then, Voldemort started threatening to kill me, and that's when I found you guys in the graveyard. Severus told him that I was gone because I was trying to find out more information,"

"It was him that night, the doe,"

"Yes, he was there,"

"What about Malfoy Manor? He just showed up out of nowhere,"

"The rings – our rings – are connected to one another. Dumbledore gave them to us. I can turn it twice, and Severus can Apparated to my location. We were in trouble, and I'm ashamed I didn't think of it sooner, but I was a little busy,"

Harry took her hand.

"You were pretty much there for the rest of it. Severus saved Tonks and Remus, though he doesn't want anyone to know about that,"

"I have to say, you kept things pretty well hidden, until after the war,"

"What do you mean?"

"In the Great Hall, at night," he said, giving her a look.

"What?" she asked.

"You two were all over each other,"

Hermione blushed to her roots, and lowered her eyes.

"Not to mention the Boathouse," Harry added, looking casually at the ceiling.

Hermione couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face, though she knew she must be bright red at this point.

"I also may or may not have seen the episode in Grimmauld Place in Snape's memories,"

"Harry," Hermione groaned, covering her face.

"Anyway," he said changing the subject. "What's up with you two now?"

Hermione's embarrassment dissipated.

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"He sent me divorce papers,"

"He sent you divorce papers? Why? I thought you two were hitting it off,"

"Apparently we were all wrong,"

"Hermione, I've seen his memories, there's no way he would do this. He's crazy about you,"

"I thought so too, but I mean, he was a double spy for over twenty years, what if he's just that good? I hope that's not the case, but what if he was just playing the part to get us all through this alive and now he doesn't need to anymore?"

"That's a load of rubbish," Harry muttered.

"When I told him about Ron, he wasn't even angry,"

"You told him about what happened in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes, Ron was holding it against me, so I just told Severus because I couldn't deal with Ron trying to get me to break things off…how did you know?"

"Ron told me that he confronted Snape,"

"He what?"

"He confronted Snape, and he said Snape was extremely protective over you and got a little physical,"

"Oh, please tell me Severus didn't hurt him,"

"Just wounded his ego a little. Ron's crazy about you, you're all he talks about. I try not to get involved. I know you don't feel for him the way he feels about you. It's obvious in the way you look at Snape. You'd have to be blind not to notice that,"

"So where does this leave us?"

"I already told you, it doesn't matter to me who you're with, as long as they treat you the way you ought to be treated,"

"I mean about Ron,"

Harry waved the idea away.

"What he does doesn't affect our friendship, I hope. He's home now, trying to cool down,"

"How was he the last time you talked to him?"

"Fine,"

"Fine?" Hermione asked, knowing Harry was hiding something from her.

"When was the last time you read the Daily Prophet?"

"I can't remember, I've been busy,"

Harry reached into his robes and pulled out a rolled up newspaper that was severely wrinkled.

"You have to promise not to lose it when you read the article,"

"I won't," she snapped, snatching the paper from him.

Smoothing the paper out, Hermione instantly saw the title, and knew that the rest of the article couldn't be good. She saw Severus and herself, smeared across the front page. Was this why he sent those papers to her?

"Harry-"

"No one knows who talked, but I think we all have a pretty good idea who it was,"

"He wouldn't-Harry, you don't think-"

"I was with him the morning that was published. He seemed pleased with it,"

"I didn't think Ronald could do something like this,"

"He's in love with you Hermione, I'm pretty sure he'll do anything to win you over,"

"He's in love with me?" Hermione snapped, jumping up and tossing the paper on the bed. "Love? He had all of school to say something, and all he did was throw that Lavender Brown in my face! Now when I'm finally happy, I know what I want and who I want to spend the rest of my life with, all of a sudden he realizes that he's in love with me! Well it's too late now!"

The two fell silent and for a long moment they didn't so much as acknowledge one another.

"Harry, I don't know what to do anymore. I've spent this whole war planning what I was going to do, and I just can't do it anymore,"

"Well, when you move in, we can do fun things,"

"Like what?" Hermione asked raising her eyebrow at him.

"You know, I still never got that cake for my birthday,"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at him.

"I would love to make you a birthday cake,"

"We can have one joint birthday party for everyone,"

"I can't wait," Hermione replied, beaming.


	55. Ron's Guilt

**Hey guys!**

**Thank you for all of the support, I'm so grateful for every review I get :)**

**For this chapter, and every chapter after, my goal is to get ten reviews. I hope we can do it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Hermione awoke early, wanting to talk to Minerva before the rest of the school awoke. On the way to the school, the sun was just rising, making the path seem otherworldly. The moment Hermione reached the front gate; she forced her emotions back, focusing on the task at hand. She knew Minerva would be in the Great Hall, readying for another day of reconstruction. Barely anyone stayed in the school anymore, they had to focus on getting their own lives back on track.<p>

Entering the silent hall, Hermione peaked into the Great Hall, seeing a few sleeping bags spread everywhere.

"Hermione?"

Hermione whirled around, and found Minerva, still in her nightclothes.

"Professor," Hermione said with a smile. "I was hoping I could borrow a moment of your time,"

"Of course, follow me,"

Hermione followed Minerva through the winding hallways, and was not surprised when they entered Dumbledore's office.

"Are you-?"

"Headmistress? Yes, Severus resigned a few weeks ago, taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again,"

"Oh," Hermione muttered, taking a seat.

"So, how may I help you?" Minerva asked over the desk.

"I was just wondering – would it be possible for me to complete exams in order to pass my seventh year and complete my schooling?"

Minerva sat back in her chair, a crease in her brow.

"That certainly would be possible. You would have to take the final exam in all of the classes. It would be extremely difficult, but I could arrange a time for your testing,"

"That would be perfect," Hermione replied with a smile.

The two left the room together, discussing which time would be appropriate for the testing (Hermione wanted to complete them all in a row). They stopped in the Entrance Hall, discussing minor details, when movement from the staircase caught Hermione's attention. At first she looked away, thinking a student was walking the halls, but her eyes immediately snapped back. There were seven men from the Ministry, walking down the hallway, and walking in the middle of the men, was Severus Snape.

"What?" Hermione managed to choke out, stepping forward.

"Kingsley! What are you doing?" Minerva cried, approaching the Minister.

"I'm sorry Minerva, it has to be done," he said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What does? Why do you have those chains on his wrists?" she snapped when her eyes landed on the shackles that were locked on Severus' slender wrists.

"It's so he can't Apparate. There has been an arrest warrant issued for Severus in relation to his connection with Death Eaters,"

"If Severus didn't work for them, most of us would be dead!"

"I'm aware, Minerva, but I did not issue the warrant. I am required to attend such arrests, and interfering in any way would be an abuse of my power,"

Without waiting for a reply, the men started pushing Severus out of the building. He made no sound of resistance and revealed no emotion.

"No," Hermione said, stepping forward, wanting to reach out and touch him.

His eyes flashed to her, burning intensely before he was pushed away.

"No!" she snapped, leaning forward before Minerva restrained her.

Hermione watched horrified as Severus was taken away.

Hermione was distraught over what had happened. Her first reaction was to go to the Ministry and find out who was in charge and talk to them straight away to order Severus' release. She was distracted by the fuss Minerva was making. Waves of anger poured off of the Headmistress, making her as threatening as Severus was on any given day. She instantly stormed back to her office where she began writing the necessary letters. Hermione left the school immediately, returning to the Leaky Cauldron in order to check out of her room. She arrived on Harry's doorstep, less than a half hour later, looking as frazzled as ever.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as she barged into the room.

"They took him, Harry! They took him!" she cried, dropping her things on the ground and heading straight into the kitchen.

"Took who? What are you talking about?"

"Severus! They took Severus! I watched them!"

Harry halted her pacing in the kitchen and forced her into a chair. Her hands were shaking and her face was pale.

"Now, start from the beginning," Harry said quietly.

"I was talking to McGonagall about the tests when the Ministry started carting him away in shackles. He's going to be tried because of his loyalties,"

"But he was with us,"

"No one else knows that, Harry. Not even half a dozen of us do. What are six people against the entire Wizarding World? They all know he killed Dumbledore, and their minds are already made up,"

Harry could not think of a proper response to her explanation, Hermione could tell by the look on his face. His eyes met hers, and neither smiled.

"I love him, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "More than anything,"

"I know," Harry replied, patting her hand.

The next morning, Hermione returned with dozens of volumes pertaining to laws in their world. She spent her days locked in the library at Grimmauld Place, avoiding any and all media. The papers often mentioned her name, but no one knew where the brains of the Golden Trio had gone after the war, and Hermione was anxious to keep her whereabouts unknown. Remus often helped Hermione and Harry with basic things, like shopping. Hermione didn't think she had enough time in her life to repay him for everything he has ever done. Eventually, Harry and Hermione's absence became the popular headlines, often placed next to the newest update on Severus' trial. Hermione only looked at the paper every few days, fully knowing that the trial was going disastrously for Severus.

One morning, the front door opened, and Hermione paused in her reading, knowing that Remus was not due for a visit and that Harry was in the kitchen. Her heart leapt into her throat as her hand immediately grabbed for her wand. Footsteps thudded gently on the carpet as the intruder traveled down the hall. Hermione was just reaching for the handle of the door when it was thrown open.

"Hermione?!"

She lowered her wand upon seeing a head of ginger hair. Ronald Weasley stood shocked in the doorway of the library.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione snapped harshly.

"Looking for Harry. I haven't been able to reach him for weeks,"

"He's in the kitchen," she bit out.

He stared at her for a long moment.

"It's good to see you,"

She noticed how his eyes drifted and settled on the silver band on her finger that she refused to remove. Hermione heard Harry leaving the kitchen, apparently hearing their voices.

"Ron," Harry said, stunned as his presence.

"Hey, mate," Ron greeted lamely.

"You're lucky this is Harry's house," Hermione growled.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked with wide eyes.

"I know what you did, Ronald! I know that you're the one that told the Daily Prophet about Severus! You're the only one who would!"

"Loads of people know!"

"No they don't! It's you, Harry, Minerva, and Remus. You're the only one who would have a reason!"

"Hermione, I don't think you understand,"

"You better hope that man walks out of the Ministry at the end of this trial with his freedom, or else," she threated darkly.

"Or what?" he taunted.

"Ron, stop," Harry snapped.

Ron turned, shocked that his best friend was not taking his side on things.

"What are you talking about Harry? This is _Snape_. You were right all of these years that he was working for Voldemort this whole time!"

"Ron, you know that isn't true,"

"I bet he has that mark on his arm, doesn't he?" Ron hissed, turning his eyes on Hermione.

Hermione felt her emotions bubbling up. She wanted to strike that smirk off of his face and curse him until she couldn't speak another word.

"How many times did you watch him sneak off in the middle of the night to kill innocent people for that monster? How often did you sit around watching him okay orders to torture poor First Years? I bet-"

He was cut off as Hermione flung herself on him with a scream. She saw red as he threw his arms up to protect his face. Magic could do more damage, but this was more fulfilling. Hermione could feel Harry wrapping his arms around her, trying to haul her off of Ron. The fear that flashed over Ron's face was replaced by rage, as he shoved back, elbow colliding with her cheek, sending her to the floor with a thud.

Hermione's head exploded with pain, as she briefly lost her bearings.

"Ron!" Harry shouted, immediately helping Hermione to her feet.

"She's crazy, Harry! Snape probably brainwashed her during those lessons she always wanted to get to all the time!"

"He didn't brainwash me, you idiot!" Hermione cried, pressing her hand against her throbbing cheek.

"You act like you love the greasy bat,"

Hermione didn't say anything, but kept her eyes locked on Ron. His eyes studied her face for a moment before they grew wide.

"You…you love him? You love _Snape_? How could anyone in their right mind-"

"Yes, I love him. He's the bravest man I've ever met and I trust him with my life. He's kind, thoughtful, and gentle if people would just give him a chance,"

"He's a dungeon bat, that's all he'll ever be. A dungeon bat who pines over a dead woman,"

Hermione felt Harry tense beside her, and was afraid that he would snap.

"As many problems as I have had with Snape in the past, he's a good man who has sacrificed a lot for our cause, and I think the least we can do is save him from an unfair sentence. He loved my mother, I know that. I also know that he loves Hermione,"

"You two have lost it, haven't you?" Ron asked, peering at them.

"Ron, I showed you the memories, I know you felt Snape's emotions when he looked at Hermione,"

"He's just obsessed with her, that's all,"

"You thought doing this would make me love you, didn't you?" Hermione prompted.

Ron didn't say anything.

"Ron-" Harry began.

"Don't!" Ron snapped at Harry. "You were so obsessed with Snape, I knew that he had to have you under some kind of spell. I told you to end it with him, Hermione, and you didn't. I couldn't let him get away with taking you away from me, so I knew I had to get him away from you. What better way than telling the Ministry who had killed Dumbledore and where they could find such a person? I knew he'd be in jail and then he would have to feel what I feel,"

"I can't believe you," Hermione muttered, shaking her head.

"I love you, Hermione, I have since we were kids,"

"You never said anything! You just went out with Lavender Brown and snogged her whenever you had more than ten minutes! I did care for you, Ron, for a while, but I was sick of being a second thought! You're too late; I'm happy now, happy with someone who never saw me as a back-up plan,"

For the first time since the war ended, Ron showed signs of guilt. The hallway was silent for a moment before Ron lowered his eyes to the ground.

"I think that you should leave now," Harry said quietly.

Ron didn't say a word as he turned and left the house. Hermione returned to the library, gingerly touching her sore cheek as Harry returned to the kitchen.


	56. I'll Be Seeing You

**Hey!**

**Keep the reviews coming! They're awesome! Still aiming for 10 a chapter! (You guys are great, I know you can do it!)**

**Sorry this is late, I'm back at school and have been working basically non-stop for about two days.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next day, Hermione was more depressed than ever before. She wasn't getting anywhere with her reading, Ron wasn't speaking to either of them, Severus was locked up and most likely going to be sentenced to death at the rate his trial was going, she didn't have her parents, and her exam date was quickly approaching. Hermione spent most of her day in her room, curled up on her bed.<p>

"Hermione! Come here!" Harry called from the kitchen.

His voice seemed panicked, so Hermione jumped up and darted down the stairs with her wand at the ready. When she entered the kitchen, she didn't expect to see two figures there.

"Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked, seeing a man covered in ash from the kitchen fireplace.

"Hello, Hermione," he said warmly, smiling at her like he did when she was small. The smile was replaced with concern when he saw her bruised cheek. "I'm sorry about that, Ron told me,"

"It's nothing," she muttered, gingerly touching her flesh.

"I came to talk to you, about Severus,"

"Is he alright? He's not hurt, is he?"

"He's fine, don't worry. They have him in the holding cells for now,"

"What's wrong?"

"I heard from Tonks that you've been wanting to go and see him, and I've come to tell you that you're not allowed to set foot in that wing of the Ministry, I've heard it from Kingsley with my own ears,"

"Why not?!"

"When they asked him if he had any requests, he said that you are not allowed into the trial or to see him,"

Hermione sunk into a chair. Did he hate her that much that he didn't even want to see her?

"I'm telling you, the man has lost his mind. He won't see any lawyer, won't consult with anyone. Even the lawyer the Ministry appointed him; he won't say a word to, just keeps asking when they're going to convict him. He's trying to play the martyr, and very few of us know that he's not guilty. Now, if rumors are true, I know that you two have a relationship – I'm not trying to pry, but-"

"We're married, Mr. Weasely," Hermione said quietly. "The rumors your son gave to the Daily Prophet are true,"

"I can see you care very much for the man, and I want you to go talk some sense into him,"

"You just said that I can't see him, he doesn't want to see me,"

"The Ministry and I aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment," he replied, with a smile that made Hermione smirk slightly.

"If you're ready, we can leave now. It's the least I can do to make up for Ron and thank you for everything you've done for all of us,"

"I'm ready," Hermione said, though she didn't think she believed the words.

Mr. Weasley had her wear a cloak, one that nearly consumed her body, and altered her facial features slightly. When they reached the entrance to the Ministry, he locked her hands in shackles and pulled out forged paperwork.

People were bustling around the room, going about their daily business, and Hermione couldn't help but look around in awe at how much the Ministry had changed since the last time she had been there. In general, there was warmth about the place. Regardless, Hermione's heart was beating in her chest. If they were caught, the two of them would be arrested, for real. Mr. Weasley would lose his job and Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to live with the guilt.

The two stepped into the elevator, alone, and immediately began descending.

"You'll have about ten minutes; I'll have to distract the guard in order to remove the charm on the holding cells,"

"Charm?"

"So the prisoners can't Apparate out. Once you're done talking to him, Apparate back to Grimmauld Place,"

"Won't the other people in the holding cells escape?"

"There isn't anyone down with Severus – they cleared out the cells because all of the prisoners were afraid that Severus would kill them,"

Hermione was too scared to argue with the prisoner's logic because the elevator had pulled to a halt. The two stepped off eyeing the guard at the end of the hallway. Hermione lowered her head so that her entire face was covered. Mr. Weasley was nervous, but tried his hardest to act casual.

"Arthur, what brings you down here?"

"Kingsley was busy at the moment, so he asked me to transport this prisoner,"

"You have to put him in the holding cells upstairs," the guard immediately replied.

"Can't – he's too dangerous to be with the others, he has to be here,"

"Is he aware that he's rooming with the man who killed Dumbledore?"

"I can assure you, Alfred, this one here has done worse,"

The guard took the paperwork and looked it over for a moment before handing it back to Mr. Weasley.

"Just put him in there…make sure you seal the door up tight," the guard said with a slight quiver to his voice.

Mr. Weasly pulled Hermione through an archway and down a long hallway lined with cells. The place was musky and cold, reminding her of the dungeons at Hogwarts, but worse. She kept tripping over the uneven floor, causing her heart to pound even harder against her ribcage. The hallway seemed to be never ending, but finally, as she glanced up, Hermione could see the far wall.

"Hello, Severus," Mr. Weasley greeted warmly.

Hermione shifted her eyes and saw Severus nod in their general direction. His eyes were locked on her form, no doubt trying to figure out who the new comer was. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, having nothing else to do.

"I hope you don't mind having a roommate for a little while,"

Severus didn't answer as Hermione was pushed into the cell beside his. The shackles were removed and her features were restored to their original appearance. Mr. Weasley locked the door and gave Hermione a slight nod.

"Can I get you anything?" Mr. Weasley asked as he passed Severus' cell.

"The newspaper, if you can manage," he said quietly.

"Sure, I think Albert has one under his chair, I'll smuggle it in with your food,"

Mr. Weasley's steps died away down the hallway and Severus' eyes never left her form. Hermione stayed perfectly still in the middle of her cell, keeping her face hidden in the heavy cloak. He was very obviously puzzled by the fact that they had placed another person with him, and finally, he couldn't help himself.

"Why are you here?" he practically barked out.

Hermione took this moment to pull back her hood and look him straight in the eye.

"To talk some sense into you,"

Severus jumped from his bed, eyes wide and in a panic, his face paler than when she had first walked in. He wrapped his fingers around the bars, seeming to need their support to keep himself standing.

"What are you doing here? And what the hell happened to your face!" he rasped out.

Hermione wrapped her hands just below his, so close to him, but unable to touch.

"We only have a few minutes. You need to stop being so damn stubborn – tell people your story; you can't just sit there taking it day after day. Stand up for yourself. It's all over the paper, how terrible you're trial is going, and none of us are just going to sit by and watch you throw your life away,"

"It is my choice what I do with my life,"

"Not when it concerns others!" she hissed back quietly.

Severus Snape was at a loss for words. Hermione sighed when she looked at his haggard face.

"Tell me what happened to your face," he snapped, changing the subject.

"I had a misunderstanding with Ron,"

"That weasel _hit _you?"

"I started it, I practically attacked him when he came to Grimmauld Place, and he just happened to move his elbow when trying to get me off of him,"

Severus just stared at her like he couldn't believe that she would physically attack another human being.

"Why won't you let me into the trial?"

He tore his hands off of the bars and began pacing his cell.

"The last thing I need is them attacking you. They'll discount your testimony anyway, drag your name to hell and back, and ruin your life. Even if you do finish school, how many people will want a witch who supported the man who murdered the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen?"

"How did you know I wanted to finish school?"

"Minerva told me, the insufferable woman sends me letters every day, mostly about how you've fallen off of the face of the Earth, yet here you stand. Not the best entrance after being so gone, I might add,"

"Shut up, I'm trying to be serious here,"

"Well I don't need your help,"

"That's a lie – you're practically throwing your life away. Harry and I have been looking through the library at Grimmauld place trying to form some sort of-"

"Potter?"

"What about him?"

"Potter is trying to helping me?"

"He's doing it for me, though he seems to have gotten over hating you. He's even defended you on the rarest of occasions,"

"Please don't tell me I'm indebted to Potter now,"

"We can talk about this later; right now we need to talk about how we're going to get you out of this whole mess,"

"First, you're going to go to my chambers at school and go into my desk drawer. You'll find a set of divorce papers. You are to sign those and immediately mail them to the address that is printed on the forms. Then, burn the license that you had framed. We need to destroy all evidence of this contract so they cannot implement you,"

"I will absolutely not do that!" Hermione nearly screeched.

"I don't see what the problem is! You sign your name and you burn a piece of paper!"

"I gave you my reasons the last time you tried to do this!"

The two fell silent, and Hermione knew that their time was running short. She could hear Mr. Weasley returning.

"If you don't get yourself out of this, then I'll get you out of it myself,"

"And just how do you expect to do that?"

"That's my problem, not yours,"

Severus was visibly affected by her words, knowing full well that she would do anything that she needed to do in order to free him.

"Sometimes I wish I could wipe your memory,"

"Too bad they took away your wand," she snapped just as Mr. Weasley arrived.

"Time's up – Alfred is getting antsy out there, I'm going to have to alter his memory after this,"

"What do you think you're doing, sneaking her in like this!" Severus snapped at the man.

"Well you won't listen to Minerva or I, so I thought I'd try someone who is close to you," Mr. Weasley replied, barely sparing Severus a glance.

He cast the charm, allowing Hermione a small window to Apparate.

"Thank you," she said to Mr. Weasley, who nodded at her. She turned to Severus and was met by his glare. "I'll be seeing you," she said coldly.

"Don't count on it,"

She Apparated quickly, too angry to be hurt over his last comment. When she entered Grimmauld Place, Hermione saw Harry anxiously heading towards her.

"What did he say?"

"Told me he wants a divorce, still, and on top of that, he's making no effort whatsoever towards his freedom. He refuses to speak a word in court,"

When the two settled at the kitchen table, Hermione began telling him more details of their meeting. It was then that something suddenly occurred to her.

"When I was in there, Severus said that he wished he could wipe my memory!"

"And?"

"Harry, that's it! His memories!"

"What about them?"

"Severus gave you his most important memories because he thought he was dying! He can't stop us from showing people those memories! He can only refuse to speak! And remember when you had Slughorn's memory? And there was a portion that was different from the rest because he had changed it? They can see that those memories are the real thing!"

"Hermione, as brilliant as that is, how are we going to do that? I'm sure Snape had banned all of us from the courtroom anyway,"

"I'll sneak in,"

"Again?"

"Why not? His freedom rests in my hands. Even if they do arrest me, at least I'll be able to give them his memories,"

"Hermione, from now on, we should make plans that do not require breaking into the Ministry of Magic,"

Hermione offered Harry a beaming smile before she began planning what to do.


	57. You've Been Warned

**Hello all of you wonderful people! For the first time in a long time, I finally updated on time! With...sixteen minutes to spare!**

**Hope you all take time to review :) Lets me know that people are still out there and enjoying this story.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, Harry sent letters to people, asking them for their memories in order to aid Severus Snape. Hermione planned on how she would sneak into the courtroom. Percy Weasley snuck into her thoughts, and she immediately wrote him a letter. She hoped that he could set aside the drama between her and Ron in order to help her. He responded, telling her he would aid her effort and to meet him near the fountain an hour before Severus' sentencing was to occur. Currently, they had not set a date – he was still being tried.<p>

Slowly the vials of memories trickled in, even memories from people Harry and Hermione had never met before. The word spread quickly, but much to Hermione's relief, stayed out of the Daily Prophet. Unfortunately, they did not have access to a Pensive, they would have to travel to Hogwarts once they had collected all of the memories they needed.

As Harry worked on collecting memories, Hermione turned her focus to school. She had lost a massive amount of study time, not to mention her mind was going a mile a minute as the trial drew closer and closer to an end. Minerva sent her all of the material covered in the last year of schooling. Even Hermione struggled through most of the work, but she pushed through it none the less. The day of the test was drawing closer and Hermione barely allowed her eyes to stray from the work that was spread out across her bed.

Minerva arrived at Grimmauld Place at eight in the morning, the day of the test, to transport Hermione to Hogwarts where her exams would be administered by a Ministry official. Hermione was nervous, but Minerva chatted on about the school and how quick the rebuilding was going. She couldn't even care when Minerva bought up Severus.

"I'm sure he wishes you well," Minerva said with a smile as the carriage began winding up the trail of the school.

"Did he say anything else to you?"

"No, but he always asks me how your studying is going. He's very interested in how you do, that much is clear,"

Hermione fell silent as the carriage stopped. The two women stepped out and immediately headed to the front doors.

"Your testing will take place in the Transfiguration room,"

Hermione numbly nodded and followed the emerald robes through the corridors. All too soon, they reached the room, and she instantly saw the stern looking man seated at the front desk.

"Miss Granger, you are her for testing to complete your seventh year at Hogwarts, are you not?"

"I am," Hermione answered, finding it odd to be addressed by her maiden name.

"Take a seat here," the man said, pointing to a desk directly in front of his own.

Hermione did as she was told and was presented a quill. The first test was administered, she was read the requirements and rules, and was given a time limit. She repeated the process several times, losing track of time and the number of tests she had taken. Her hand was cramped, her head ached, and her lip hurt from her nearly constantly chewing. Finally, the man collected her test and slipped the bundle into his briefcase.

"Thank you Miss Granger and I wish you luck. You should have your results within the week,"

"Thank you," she replied as he left the room.

She sat slouched in her chair, physically and mentally exhausted. After a few moments, Hermione stood, and entered the cool night air. She took her time wandering the grounds, seeing parts of the school that had not yet been touched since that night. Eventually, Hermione set her path to the dungeons. Of course no one was there, most people tried to avoid the dreariness that the dungeons presented. Hermione welcomed the feeling of the cool air against her skin as she headed straight to the painting of the knight.

"Hello fair maiden!" the knight cried.

"Hi," she replied with a smile, finding the nail on the back of the frame.

She stepped into the dark room, inhaling deeply. The room smelt like old books and Firewhiskey, causing a smile to form on her face as her muscles instantly relaxed. Hermione lit a few candles, seeing the room in the same pristine condition she always saw it in. She missed this room, but her feet wandered to the bedroom. She couldn't bring herself to enter the room. The four walls locked in his scent, reminding her once again of where he would be spending the night. Turning around, Hermione saw his desk and immediately moved towards it. She saw the framed marriage license with her untidy scrawl and his neat and controlled script. Then, she opened the right hand drawer and found those blasted divorce papers. Without hesitation she tossed the papers into the garbage beside the desk and took the license with her as she left.

The day of the sentencing was drawing closer, the whole magical community knew it, but as the days slipped by, some wondered what the holdup was. Hermione spent her free time avoiding the news and trying to find career choices that would suit her. She originally would have thought becoming a Healer was the right choice for her, but the idea that Death Eaters were still around and hostile made her decision waver. Harry spoke to her for hours on becoming and Auror, and how his training was going.

"It's difficult, you get banged up a lot, but in the end I think it's worth it,"

He mentioned the intense logic needed – something Harry admitted he needed help with. Ron was also heading into the same line of work.

"We don't really start training for a few more weeks; this is all sort of a test,"

Hermione was still on the fence for quite some time, until her results came in. She had passed all of her exams with flying colors, opening up a wide range of careers to choose from. Though Hermione was trying to avoid choosing too quickly, she knew in her heart where she was going. The next day, Harry took Hermione's paper work in with him when he went to train in the evening. He returned that night, a grin stretched across his face.

"You got in!"

"Really?!" she cried, jumping up from her chair.

"Yeah!" he replied showing her an envelope.

The two celebrated into the early morning, thinking of how they became friends and grew up together. Hermione then revealed the Death Eater attack when looking for her parents. Harry was shocked, revealing that he had been being followed lately.

"I don't know who he is, or if he changes his facial features, but every time I'm out, I see him,"

"How do you know it's him if he changes his feature?"

"Something about his eyes, I recognize them from the first man I found following me,"

"Do you think they're still active? The Death Eaters?"

"Yeah, I do. They're not ones to go out without a fight,"

Five days later, Hermione began her training as an Auror. The training was intense, but Hermione kept reminding herself that in the end, she would be helping someone, even perhaps saving someone's life. The weeks slipped by, the Golden Trio returning home each night bruised and bloodied, but satisfied. The trainers had refused to heal them, trying to build a resistance to pain in case they were injured on the job, they could still function through the distraction.

Eventually, they passed the basic training and moved on to shadowing other Aurors on jobs. More than once, they had been hurt on the job for stupid mistakes, causing their trainer to scold them severely. Regardless, the three were advancing at an impressive pace. Their simulations became more intense and the missions they were allowed on were more dangerous.

Severus' trial was basically at a standstill. His lawyer was very obviously stalling the proceedings in order to try and get Severus to attempt to save himself. Hermione knew he would remain silent until the very end. More and more days slipped by, eventually turning into a month. Hermione eventually stopped counting the days, only keeping track of important occurrences during the duration of the trial.

She occupied most of her days helping Harry and Ron with their training being that they were struggling with the logic portions. Their lives were consumed with their jobs, and often, the three instantly went to bed when they returned home. Hermione enjoyed those days, she was too exhausted even to dream, which helped keep away her nightmares. Mostly, in her dreams, she saw Severus, lying in a pool of blood on the Boathouse floor. No matter how fast she ran down the stairs, she was always too late. Her mind screamed at her to move faster, and she knew that she wouldn't make it. She saw his dark and empty eyes before seeing Voldemort laugh at her. Her dream ended when she looked into Severus' dead eyes, being drawn into them. For days the emptiness would linger in her, distracting her from her training and mentally wearing her down. Hermione only wished that she never experienced that feeling for real.

The Daily Prophet began to run Severus on the front page every day, his face plastered across the paper along with a bold headline claiming that he was guilty and was wasting everyone's time while trying to make a cover story for himself. Hermione knew that if he could have his sentence tomorrow, he would ask for it. His lawyer was trying to give him a fighting chance. Hermione wished that he applied himself to his own trial, the same way he applied himself to his work in his lab or his job protecting them all. How could he give up now? After all these years, how could he just call it quits?

It was around this time that Harry and Hermione began receiving threats at work. The threats were written on scraps of paper with violent scrawl. Hermione received the first one, threatening her to destroy Severus memories or someone would do it for her. She instantly consulted Harry, Remus, and Mr. Weasley, but none of them had any answers.

"If we bring it to the Ministry, we would have to explain ourselves," Hermione mentioned as they sat around the table at Grimmauld Place.

"Who could have sent this?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Anyone. We did send a bunch of people letters asking for memories that could help Snape," Harry murmured.

"The letters could have been intercepted, or someone could have said something about it to another person," Remus offered.

"Could it be someone pulling a prank?" Hermione added, knowing in her heart that it wasn't true.

They decided that they would sit on the note and wait to see what happened next. They didn't have to wait long because Harry received a note on his desk a few days later. This time, the threat was accompanied by a harsh sketch of the Dark Mark. Before they could absorb the latest blow, Remus arrived on their doorstep, carrying Teddy and holding Tonks hand. Before Harry and Hermione could react, the couple pushed into the house, looking disheveled and panicked.

"What happened?" Harry asked, shutting and locking the door.

"Our house was ransacked today, thankfully we were all out," Remus replied, looking at Tonks with thankful eyes.

By the time they all reached the kitchen, Remus was placing a piece of paper down.

"This was pinned to the front door,"

Three words were scratched into the parchment with thick, dark lettering: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

"I've told Tonks about everything," Remus added, handing Teddy to Tonks who was pale and scared.

"No one's hurt?" Hermione asked, peering at their faces.

"No, I was at the Ministry and Tonks was thankfully out with Teddy. She told me to come home the moment she saw the mess,"

"I think we all know by now that Death Eaters are targeting all of us," Harry said quietly, studying the parchment closely.

"It seems so," Remus sighed.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione began. "I've dragged you all into this-"

"Hermione, we're happy to help you," Tonks said with a smile. "If I were in your position, and Remus in Severus', I would do the same,"

Hermione fell silent, but she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty over what had happened to the family.

"We were wondering if we could possibly stay here for a while," Remus asked, looking dejected.

"Of course," Hermione said, getting up to make everyone some tea.

"Very few people know about this place, and I'm not comfortable going back there so soon,"

"Stay as long as you like, we have a ton of empty rooms anyway," Harry added, finally pushing the parchment away from his eyes.

"Thank you, Harry," Tonks said with a smile.

Once the tea was made, the room fell silent. Hermione noted how exhausted the two appeared as they leaned over their steaming cups, shooting glances at one another and intertwining their hands on the table. Hermione felt a pang in her chest, wishing that Severus was beside her, safe and free.

"Tonks, have you told your mother? She may be in danger," Hermione mentioned as she thought about possible targets.

"Yes, she's staying with a friend for now,"

"I'll go and inform Arthur," Remus said quietly.

He stood, pressing his lips to Tonks head before doing the same to Teddy. Tonks eyes never left her husband as he moved around the table to reach the hallway, and eventually, the library.

"He's beating himself up," Tonks murmured quietly the second the door closed.

"He can't possibly think that it's his fault," Hermione replied.

"Remus supports you and Severus, but he thinks because of his support, he's put Teddy and I in danger,"

Harry and Hermione fell silent as they processed the information. Perhaps they should have left Remus more out of the loop when it came to Severus and his trial, then maybe he wouldn't have been targeted by the Death Eaters.

"I've heard that you both have had people following you," Tonks mentioned.

Harry and Hermione retold their stories to a solemn looking Tonks. She nodded, keeping her hands wrapped around her cup.

"A lot of us have been having that problem – anyone who was in the Order or an Auror. No doubt those of us who support Severus are also watched. Minerva told me the other day she thought she was being followed by someone,"

"Why do they want Severus convicted so badly?" Hermione blurted out.

"He'll be sent to Azkaban, with the other Death Eaters who have been caught. They'll hear of how he was a double spy, and they will no doubt kill him the moment the opportunity arises. You don't betray a Death Eater and get away with it,"

"Oh," Hermione nearly moaned, feeling the blood drain from her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out so harshly," Tonks said, looking alarmed.

"No, you're right, I-I've never thought of that,"

Harry took her hand and she looked up at him.

"We will get him out, Hermione, don't worry. It'll all be fine in the end,"

Hermione wanted to believe him more than anything in the world.


	58. It's Over

**Hello! First, sorry about the wait. Last week was crazy and I didn't have time to update.**

**Second, thank you for all the reviews. I don't deserve such wonderful readers :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The days drifted on, and the three kept focused on their training. Tonks periodically went to work, but she was more concerned with Remus, seeing as he was struggling to get a job, and Teddy, who couldn't be left alone. Hermione often overheard the two talking about how they were going to make ends meet. Remus wanted Tonks to continue to advance in her career, but she knew that he was getting cabin fever from being stuck at home with Teddy.<p>

"Darling, I'm fine staying with Teddy. It doesn't bother me, really," Remus said in hushed tones.

"Remus, I can see the way you look when you think no one can see you," Tonks replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You want to support our family, and it's killing you that you can't find work,"

"I'm supposed to support my family instead of sitting around this house completely useless!"

"You're taking care of your son, that's all that matters,"

Harry stood and closed over the kitchen door then before retaking his seat. They were all tired, and were slowly being worn down. The threats were more frequent and more violent, people were starting to be targeted, and the three heroes knew it was because of them. Hermione felt even more guilt, so much that she had trouble sleeping at nights. She knew that in her attempt to keep Severus out of jail, she was hurting the people around her.

"It's almost time for his transformation, he's getting restless," Harry muttered to her.

"I already have wolfsbane brewing in the room upstairs," Hermione replied absently.

With Harry's permission, Hermione turned the room beside hers into a makeshift potions lab. She spent her time making healing potions as well as wolfsbane for Remus. Brewing helped clear her mind and she spent hours locked away. There were now crates of potions lining the walls because she made the potions at a faster rate than they could be consumed. Sometimes Harry stayed up with her sometimes, until the early hours of the morning making sure she was alright. Hermione sometimes spoke to him, telling him of what thoughts were nearly driving her out of her mind, but most of the time she was too exhausted to even begin to explain to him what was churning in her brain. If Harry wasn't there, sometimes Ron made his way to the room. Things between them were still slightly awkward. Some days, the amount of rage she felt towards him was nearly blinding and she had been known to throw things at him if he entered the room or attempt to hex him. Other days, she complied with his desire to sit in the room with her as she brewed. He stuttered through his words, but most of the time he was silent.

As the days slipped by, Hermione took to leaving the house at night, taking special care to not be seen. From the top step, she usually Apparated to Diagon Alley to stroll the darkened streets for a few hours. Most shops were under construction due to the war, and Hermione liked to survey the progress that was made each passing week.

It wasn't until a few nights later that Hermione was pulled from her brewing by the front door opening. Blinking rapidly, Hermione peered down at the watch Ron had given her in order to keep track of time when brewing, and saw that it was nearly four in the morning.

"Hello?" a voice whispered up the stairs.

Hermione recognized the voice of Arthur Weasley and instantly darted from the room, allowing the door to slam against the wall in her haste. In a few bounds, she was down the stairs and in the long hallway.

"What is it?" Hermione asked the moment her eyes landed on his figure.

"It's time, it's over, the trial,"

"What? When?" she asked, feeling her heart begin to pound.

"Today," he replied pushing her into the kitchen and shutting the door. "Or, technically, it was yesterday,"

"Why didn't the Daily Prophet put out a story about it yet?" she asked.

"The papers haven't gotten wind of it yet, though I know it'll be all over the place tomorrow,"

Hermione's mind was buzzing. She had carefully planned this day out since the moment she thought of the idea of memories, but she could feel her muscles freezing and her mind going blank with half formed thoughts.

"Percy," she babbled.

"What about him?"

"I need to – he and I – I need to talk to him. Immediately,"

Her hands were already grabbing for parchment and quills, ink spattering on the kitchen table as she set to work.

"The judge decided to end the trial because Severus wasn't saying a word," Mr. Weasley told her as she half listened.

"What time," she demanded.

"They resume at eight,"

"Eight?!" Hermione cried. "In the morning?"

"Yes, why would they start at night?"

"We only have four hours!"

With that, she darted from the kitchen and ran up the stairs as fast as she could possibly push her legs. The portrait of Sirius' mother began screeching as she scrambled by it, but Hermione made no move to stop the shrill insults echoing through the house. Her first stop was Harry's room.

"Harry!" she cried, throwing his door open and pouncing on him.

"What! What is it?!" he asked in a panic, throwing his blankets off.

"The trial, it's over, they're going to sentence him!"

Harry immediately set to getting dressed as Hermione ran into the hall.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked, appearing from the next room over, just as Tonks poked her head out from the staircase.

"The trial's over, the sentencing is in four hours," Hermione replied gasping for air.

Tonks didn't waste a minute as she ran back up the stairs, calling for her husband. In a few minutes, everyone was seated around the kitchen table, writing letters to all of the people who had supplied them with memories, as well as those who were willing to support Severus, openly. Teddy was becoming upset with all of the commotion, but thankfully Molly arrived with Ginny in tow, looking tired and cranky. Molly was not content with just holding Teddy, so Ginny was given the job as Molly jumped in trying to help. Even in her panic, Hermione could see the dirty looks Ginny was shooting at Harry, who was looking at everything in the room but her.

"What can I do?" Molly asked.

"I need to see Percy, I sent him a note, but he hasn't responded yet,"

"I'm on it," Molly said, before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a burst of green flames.

Soon, all of the letters had been sent. The kitchen fell quiet, as everyone looked around at the disaster zone. There were balls of paper littering the table top as well as the floor where people had violently scribbled out their work. Ink stained just about every surface, including everyone's hands. The tension was high in the room and continued to grow when someone mentioned the time, a quarter past six. Hermione brushed a few small owl feathers from her sweater, seeing that feathers were everywhere in the kitchen. Remus set himself to the task of making tea as Ginny returned with a snoring Teddy in her arms. Harry instantly lowered his eyes to the table top.

Just as the tension was becoming nearly unbearable, the fireplace exploded with green, and one by one, the rest of the Weasleys stepped out of the fireplace, packing the kitchen and adding a layer of ash to the disarray of the kitchen.

"Percy," Hermione said, but he held his hand up.

"Mom already explained, but if you would like, we can go over the details again,"

Hermione readily agreed, and was about to leave the room with him until Ron stopped them.

"I'd like to know what's going on," he said, blushing as he spoke up for the first time since the two had fought.

Hermione's eyes flashed over the room, seeing everyone looking at her hoping she would explain things to them. Percy turned to look also, seeming to see the same thing.

"We all know that Hermione is banned from the trial, but she needs to get in there,"

"Yes, we all know that, but what have you got to do with anything?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to cause a distraction for the guard outside the courtroom long enough for Hermione to slip in,"

"You'll get arrested!" Molly cried in a panic.

"It doesn't matter. I've been terrible, to all of you, since I got that stupid job at the Ministry. I never got…I never said a word to Fred before…"

Everyone looked away from Percy as he swallowed deeply.

"I want to do this, for him,"

"I want to do it too," Ron suddenly said.

Hermione shuffled her feet and refused to look at him. She knew he was only doing this to make up for being horrible to her, and Severus, but Hermione knew he still had a small hope that she would change her mind about Severus. She knew that would never happen, and she wished that Ron would understand, and then move on with his life.

"Sure, we still need to get Tonks and Remus in,"

"Can't we just walk in?" Remus asked.

"No," Arthur spoke up. "He's also asked that you two do not attend the trial. He's not allowing anyone in that can potentially help him,"

"Are we all going to have to sneak in?" Harry asked.

"I believe so. If Percy, Ron, and George can created enough distractions, we can all slip in a few at a time,"

They spent the remaining hours finding dark cloaks and walking through the plans until each member was sure of their part. Hermione was a mess of nerves, darting back and forth, making sure that everything was in order. This was it, the day she had been waiting for. Months had gone by, and it all came down to this day. Hermione chewed her nails as she watched the hands of the clock slowly inch by. She couldn't help herself as her eyes constantly drifted to the ring on her finger. She was going to free him, no matter what it took; she was going to get him out of that horrible place. Hermione took a seat at the table, clutching the box that contained the memories she and Harry had collected.

"It's time," Arthur spoke, standing.

Everyone immediately mimicked his movements. Hermione's knees were shaking and her palms went sweaty. She was sure that everyone in the room could hear her heart hammering in her ribcage.

"Half of us will Apparate, the others will use the floo network,"

Remus and Tonks headed towards the fireplace as Hermione, Harry, and Arthur headed to the front door. Ron ran after them as Percy and George followed behind Remus and Tonks. They all squeezed onto the front steps of 12 Grimmauld Place and hung onto each other.

"Everyone ready?" Arthur asked in a cheery voice.

They all nodded numbly before Apparating directly into the Ministry. Instantly they were caught up in the bustle of people attempting to get to work on time. Hermione pulled her hood up and held onto her box even tighter. Mr. Weasley expertly weaved through the throngs of people, and Hermione followed easily, her eyes darting around the large room. She had grown accustomed to the flash of excitement adventure provided for her; being friends with Harry had caused her to grow fond of the feeling. In this case, her sheer panic was in complete control.

Hermione's eyes instantly found the flashing lights of the photographers who were not allowed into the trial. A single guard, with an extremely large build, stood near the front of the door, scrutinizing everyone who entered. Arthur had the three stand off to the side as he easily made his way into the trial.

Hermione could hear every breath that she expelled from her body, hearing it ring in her ears as people buzzed around unknowingly. Percy came strolling through the crowd, and Hermione felt her heart jump into her throat. His eyes met hers briefly, and he gave her a subtle nod.

"Let's go," she whispered to Harry.

The two slowly made their way to the door, as Percy approached the guard, drawing his wand out. Percy fired a shot that struck right above the guard's head, causing him to immediately attack back. The room erupted into screams and shouts as the photographers began snapping pictures of the duel. Hermione and Harry tucked their heads and began heading directly to the door. Easily, they slipped inside.

The room was large, and there Hermione could see the cold faces of the people who would be judging Severus in less than a half hour. There was a single chair in the middle of the room that was empty. Hermione chose her seat, far enough away where Severus wouldn't be able to see her, and Harry joined her a moment later. People were speaking in low whispers, but Hermione couldn't catch any of the words. Kingsley had not yet arrived, and the room slowly began to fill up.

"A lot of people we contacted are here," Harry mentioned.

Hermione nodded, spotting Remus and Tonks huddled together on the bench across the room. She tightened her hands on the box, afraid it would somehow vanish from her grip. A few more minutes, and the room was filled to capacity. It was then that Kingsley entered the chamber from a small door, causing the room's volume to increase.

"Silence!" he snapped before taking his seat.

He was irritated with the crowd, and no doubt tired of the trial. The crowd fell silent.

"Bring out the accused,"


	59. Pardon

**I KNOW I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON. It's been forever, and I apologize! Typical excuse: school. The time drainer of my life. Still, I hope this chapter makes up for the two weeks I haven't updated. Review and tell me what you think! (I appreciate all of you who are willing to put up with me, you are awesome).**

* * *

><p>The door in the corner of the chamber was wretched open, and Ministry men appeared, pushing forward the man clad in black. He kept his eyes to the ground, complying with the forceful men. The room was in an uproar, people screaming violent slurs, others gasping at the sight. Hermione didn't blame them, he looked disheveled and exhausted. The men forced him into the chair before chains appeared, binding him to the wood. He never so much as flinched, but Hermione made a small choking sound as she saw the chains pressing harshly into his body.<p>

"QUIET!" Kingsley shouted.

The room took longer to contain themselves, but eventually, everyone was silent, their eyes locked on Severus Snape. Hermione was very near gasping for air as she waited for Kingsley to speak.

"Will the accused put forth any defense?" he asked, looking down at Severus who had his eyes trained on his knees.

"No, sir, the accused does not wish to enter a defense," a skinny man said, eyes darting to Severus for a moment before looking back at the Minister.

"If the accused does not wish to make a defense, then a verdict must be reached,"

Kingsley nodded his head, and the cold men and women dressed in black stood and left the room. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes off of Severus. He was broken; he was allowing them to beat him. The lawyer who had spoken stepped forward and approached Severus. He whispered a few quick words, only earning himself a single shake of a head. The man was angry; Hermione could tell by the way his eyes blazed when he looked at Severus. No doubt he was trying to talk Severus into doing something other than sitting there, chained to a chair, and completely silent. The man retook his seat a moment later, fuming. It was during this time that Hermione began to second guess all of their plans. Everything was going to fall apart, and they were going to send Severus to Azkaban. As the minutes inched by, Hermione busied herself with searching the crowd for familiar faces. There was Remus and Tonks, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Minerva was seated in the front row, with Ginny beside her. Neville was there with his grandmother, and farther back-

Her thoughts froze as she saw two doors open. Men and women flooded back into their seats, each face as impassive as the next.

"Oh God," Hermione moaned quietly, her stomach flipping.

The entire room had fallen silent. The only noise that could be heard was shuffling feat and squeaking chairs. The rustling of robes filled the air as the men and women fixed their clothing. After a few moments, not a noise could be heard in the chamber.

"Have you reached a verdict?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes," an old man said, standing up.

"And?"

"We find the accused guilty of all charges,"

A roar filled Hermione's ears. People jumped up around her. Something was tugging on her sleeve, but she felt as if time was suddenly slowing down around her. Her mind was oddly empty, almost like she was floating in a dream. A noise was suddenly breaking through the roar. It grew louder and louder. Hermione was certain that she recognized that sound.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted over the crowd.

She blankly looked up at him.

"The memories! GO!"

And in a rush it all came back to her, the plans, her fierce desire to set Severus free, and her uncontrollable need to stand by him and support him.

Jumping out of her seat, she launched herself forward, jumping on the small wooden divider that separated each row of chairs. Jumping again, she landed on the next one, only one away from reaching the stone floor. Hermione pushed a man out of her way, before flinging herself forward again. A second later, she stumbled out onto the floor.

"No!" she cried as the Ministry men stepped towards Severus.

She ran forward, putting her body between Severus and the guards who were now drawing their wands. Hermione already had hers out, and was ready to fight until the end.

"NO!" she snapped again.

"STOP! LOWER YOUR WANDS!" Kingsley yelled.

Hermione took this moment to yank her hood back, causing the room to erupt into gasps of shock.

"Hermione!" Kingsley yelled, now standing and leaning over his podium. "Lower your wands, NOW!" he added to the men.

Each slowly lowered their wands, still keeping them firmly wrapped in their fingers. The crowd was still talking loudly, while keeping their eyes firmly planted on the scene in front of them.

"Everyone, get out!" Kingsley cried over the noise.

The crowd instantly fell silent and no one made a move.

"If you are not out of this chamber in two minutes, I will have you arrested," Kingsley growled.

Immediately people began to scramble from their seats, but Hermione noticed some remained, keeping calm expressions on their faces. Others were climbing over the railings, joining her on the floor. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were the first to the floor, followed by Tonks and Remus.

"That means all of you!" Kingsley added.

"We are here to support Severus," a man Hermione didn't know answered from behind her.

"You better have a good explanation for this because I'm going to have to arrest you," Kingsley said, looking down at her with an angry expression.

It was then that Hermione felt the box clutched to her side in her numb hands.

"There is something that you need to see," she said, still breathing heavily, more from fear than anything else.

She stepped forward, lifting the box up so Kingsley could take it from her hands.

"Those are memories, all the memories we could get in order to prove that Severus is innocent," Hermione explained.

He suddenly pulled out a piece of paper, opening it. Hermione watched his dark eyes flash over the words before they landed on her face.

"Is this authentic?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Remus, it says here that you witnessed the union of Severus Snape and Hermione Granger,"

"I did,"

Hermione heard a growl behind her and chains rattling. Turning around, she saw Severus glaring at her fiercely.

"I told you that if you didn't get yourself out of this, I would," Hermione said quietly while evenly meeting his raging eyes.

Just as Severus opened his mouth to no doubt say something rude and insulting, spell fire suddenly rained down on them. Hermione was blown sideways, smashing her face on the ground as she rolled to a stop. Her mouth was filled with blood, but that didn't stop her from jumping up with her wand out and ready.

There were at least twenty Death Eaters that had suddenly filled the room. Some were attacking Severus, others, the box of memories. Without thinking, Hermione darted back to Severus, blocking numerous spells that headed towards him. Those who were on the ground formed a circle around Severus, making sure he was protected at all times. Hermione saw Kingsley mutter quietly as he tapped the box once, causing it to disappear.

The room around them was being demolished; chunks of wood were flying through the air as the stone at their feet was cracking. Hermione only had one goal: protect Severus.

"Would someone get me out of this bloody chair!?" he roared over the spell fire.

Hermione quickly turned around, and silently cast a spell to release the chains, but received a nasty shock instead.

"I can't!" she cried, trying again.

"Behind you"! he snapped.

Hermione whirled around, sending the strongest stunning spell she could manage in the Death Eater's direction, causing him to go sailing through the podium. Kingsley jumped to the ground, wand in hand. Without stopping, he waved it at Severus, causing the chains to vanish. Hermione watched as his lithe figure jumped from the chair's platform and to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted as he peered around the room, defenseless.

A Death Eater suddenly appeared in front of them, and just as Hermione was about to curse the man, Severus cocked his arm and slammed his fist into the masked face. The body hit the ground instantly, and Severus picked up the discarded wand. Without missing a beat, he began firing off spells faster than Hermione could register what they were. Death Eaters were crashing to the ground quickly now, and Severus barely blinked. Her eyes were suddenly pulled to the ceiling, where she saw a Death Eater aiming at the chair in the middle of the room, where most of them were standing.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"

Hermione had just breathed in a breath she planned to use to warn the others, but she was suddenly blown backwards, through the air, coming to a violent stop three rows back from the main floor. She was still conscious, but everything had gone silent.

Hermione counted the seconds before she heard anything. _One. Two. Three. Four._ Someone groaned from across the room. That one groan inspired others to start moving. Wood was being moved, Hermione could hear it clattering to the stone floor, or whatever remained of it. People were coughing. Others were calling out names. Hermione didn't move. She simply didn't want to. Her body was aching, and she was exhausted. Now, she wanted to sleep. She had done her work. The memories and the license were delivered. It was all up to Kingsley now.

"Hermione!"

That voice caused her to lift her head slightly. She could hear the panicked digging of someone looking for something.

"Hermione!"

Severus. She closed her eyes, savoring the sound of his voice for a moment, before peeling them back open with a new wave of determination. Hermione moved her limbs feeling the pain, but not caring because she was alive.

"Hermione!"

"H-here! I'm over here," she finished with a groan as she fought a heavy piece of wood off of her legs.

He was suddenly there, quickly climbing over the small bit of railing that was left. Severus immediately bent down and took hold of the wood, lifting it with a groan and tossing it aside. Slowly she attempted to climb to her feet before he hauled her up to face him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in a rush as he looked her over.

"I don't think so," she said, knowing that she must have blood all over her face.

His body instantly relaxed with relief before he pulled her into his arms, crushing her body to his. Hermione didn't waste any time wrapping her arms around him, knowing they would only have a few short moments, and this was the most emotion he had shown her in a very long time. Her mind was in frenzy at that point. He did care for her, she knew it all along. Even he couldn't hide forever.

"You stupid fool," he mumbled into her hair.

She smiled against his neck, savoring the feeling of his body and the silkiness of his voice. Hermione reciprocated silently, digging her nails into the fabric of his robes. He had lost weight since she had last embraced him, all those months ago outside Hogwarts.

"How many did we lose?" Kingsley asked.

"Five for us, seven for them," someone replied.

Hermione loosened her arms from around Severus' neck and wrapped them around his waist instead. She wanted to hang on to him for as long as possible. People were rushing around, but Hermione wasn't paying attention to that, she was listening to the breathing and steady heartbeat beneath her ear. For the first time in months, she was content.

Kingsley brushed off his robes and sighed deeply. A guard approached him.

"Bring the dead through the back door. When that's done, get a clean-up crew in here,"

The guard instantly went over to the other men and relayed the orders. Kingsley's eyes drifted over to the couple, and Hermione held her breath.

"Severus, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me,"

Instinctively, her fingers dug into his robes. His lips gently pressed against her forehead before his arms loosened from around her body. He pulled away, offering a small smile for her eyes only, and approached Kingsley.

"What happened to the memories?" Harry asked.

"They were safely sent to my office,"

The room was silent as Kingsley headed out with Severus following a short distant behind. Molly Weasley was suddenly in front of her.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she said softly, sitting Hermione down.

Hermione didn't say anything, but looked around numbly. It was over. Months of work and worry, and it came down to whatever was going on behind those closed doors. Molly cleaned Hermione's face and her clothing as people around them began cleaning up the demolished courtroom. Harry was soon seated beside her.

"They're probably going to arrest all of us," he mentioned.

"Probably," she replied not caring in the least.

There was a Ministry man asking questions and taking statements, and Hermione had no desire to talk to him or deal with his prying. People were bustling about, but Harry and Hermione continued to sit, taking in everything that had happened.

"What do you think that they're going to do?" Harry said quietly.

"Maybe they'll have a retrial,"

Just as the Ministry man asking the questions began to approach them, Kingsley came out from the door, looking exhausted. Hermione instantly jumped up and ran forward, pass the Ministry man.

"Did you look at the memories?" she asked as he handed the box back to her.

"Yes, and I've talked to jury. They wanted a retrial, but I refuse to sit through this nonsense again, so I gave Severus a pardon. They'll probably try and throw me out of office," he grumbled.

Hermione felt her eyes widen as her mouth hung open slightly in shock.

"You-you-he's free?"

"Yes,"

Those who were standing around gave cheers, celebrating their victory. Hermione hugged Harry, tears of happiness starting to fill her eyes. She felt as if a physical weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Once she had regained her ability to speak, Hermione caught Kingsley's arm before he could slip away.

"Where is he?" she asked breathlessly.

"He left out of the back door and Apparated. He didn't tell me where he was going,"

Hermione didn't respond as he left the room. Severus left? Where did he go? Why didn't he come back to her? A thought suddenly slipped into her head. Looking at her hand, she saw the band of silver on her ring finger. She turned the ring on her finger twice. Nothing happened. She didn't feel the usual warmth that she did when she called him in the past. Again she tried, and nothing happened. He wasn't wearing his wedding ring. If he was, he would have been beside her already.


	60. Time to Think

**Hey guys! I know this is a little late; I lost track of the days, sorry! It is nearly 4:30 AM here, and I can't sleep, so what better thing to do than update? **

**We're getting down to the end here! **

**Review and let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>Severus sat in his childhood home, glad to have the comforts of a house rather than a cold damp cell at the Ministry. The fire was crackling quietly, soothing him. His eyes fell to the table to his left, seeing his ring glaring back at him. It was the only object, besides his wand, that the Ministry had taken from him when they dragged him from Hogwarts.<p>

He didn't regret anything he did, or said to Hermione. The papers had slowly forgotten about her, which is what he wanted all along. If anyone was going to be taken down, it would be him and him alone. They would have dragged her into an interrogation room and forced her to tell them everything she knew about him. He knew that she would hold out; Hermione was loyal to a fault, but eventually, they would resort to nastier methods until she did crack.

Severus felt like a coward, disappearing after Kingsley basically threw him out of the Ministry. She would be waiting in the courtroom, among the destruction. He needed time to think through things without the threat of Azkaban hanging over his head and without her warm presence surrounding him.

Severus spent his time in his cell, pondering the thought of being locked up for the rest of his life. He was well aware that most occupants in the cells would have found out about his double-spy gig throughout the war, and would be unhappy with his false allegiance. His life would be in danger, but he was ready for it, especially for the most likely outcome of his imprisonment: death.

His thoughts drifted back to the courtroom. He certainly didn't think that she would have really found a way to get him out of that mess. She was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Granted, he was furious when she suddenly showed up in the courtroom and jumped into the middle of the floor. He was even angrier when he saw Kingsley pull out the license from the box. Regardless, he was impressed with how graceful and powerful she performed her spell work. She was beautiful and courageous, a Gryffindor through and through. The amount of dedication she displayed to him was something he knew he could never be able to thank her for in words, not for the remainder of his life.

It was in that chair, while chained up, that he realized how much she had sacrificed for him, and how much she was still willing to sacrifice for him. She was furiously fighting Death Eaters, risking her own life after breaking into the Ministry and collecting memories from people in order to free him.

He remembered the warmth of her body, and how he welcomed it after the coldness of his cell and the general discomfort he lived with every day for months. No matter what, he needed some time to himself, to pull himself together and think through things before jumping back into life, especially before facing her again with no obstacle in front of him that he could use to push this relationship away from himself. First he claimed that their relationship was just a cover for Voldemort, and then he pushed her away because of the potential of Azkaban and the fact that the media would destroy her name. Now, there was nothing preventing him from being with her, for real this time.

Would she show up here looking for him? He certainly hoped not. Mentally, he wasn't ready to have any sort of conversation with her quite yet. With that thought in mind, Severus grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill, scribbling a quick note.

_Keep her away until I come._

Immediately he sent the note to Remus, knowing he was probably with Hermione. A few moments later, he made the trek upstairs so he could turn in for the night. It had been a while since he had been here, in his room. He had straightened up before they had left for Hogwarts so her presence had basically been wiped from the house.

The second his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep, but it was anything but peaceful.

He found himself back in the cell, cold and wet, seeing dark figures looming above him. His heart was pounding in his chest as he jumped from the dirty mattress and pressed his back against the wall. Suddenly hands were everywhere, pulling him up and shoving him around. Anxiously he was reaching for his wand, digging through his robes. It was gone.

A moment later, he was being thrown to the ground, being chained to the floor. This chamber was colder than his cell, chilling him to the bone. The figures suddenly disappeared into the shadows, leaving him alone. It was then that his eyes drifted towards the ceiling, causing his breath to catch. Swirling around impatiently were at least a hundred of Dementors. Instinctually, he began fighting his restraints as the shield separating them suddenly vanished. The room instantly became colder, and Severus was able to see his harsh breath turn into mist. A second later, they were on him, feeding off of him. A few moments passed and he could feel his eyes rolling back in his head, about to lose consciousness. A Dementor was suddenly hovering in front of him, and Severus knew what was coming. Before he had time to breathe, everything went black.

Severus instantly sat up in bed, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Tossing the covers from his body, Severus left the room, running his hands through his hair. Instead of trying to sleep again, he spent the night at the small kitchen table that he often ate breakfast at with Hermione reading the Daily Prophet across from him.

He thought through everything from the moment Hermione left to find her parents until he was released from the Ministry. So much had happened, and Severus had been a fool. He immediately thought of the day Hermione returned from looking for her parents. She had stormed into his classroom, hair wild and eyes blazing. He had known the moment he sent those papers that she would throw a fit. The fact that she had set the papers on fire on his desk didn't bother him as much as the words that left her lips. Severus knew that they were always there, churning behind her eyes and hanging on the tip of her tongue. _I'm in love with you._ Even now he could see her face as she accidentally let slip something that both had been dancing around. Even after twenty years, Severus was never so shocked in his life. Even after she had gone he remained at his desk, replaying the events over and over again. He couldn't believe that someone like her could want someone like him. He knew he had nothing to offer her, he was old, had spent twenty years learning how to hid his emotions, and was especially nasty to her throughout the last few months.

Even though she did show up in the courtroom radiating dedication and loyalty, Severus could never forget the crushed look on her face in that classroom. She tried to hide it from him behind her confidence and denial, but he could see it in her eyes, especially when he didn't respond to her accidental slip. Severus had spent months in his cell attempting to completely obliterate any feelings he had for her. He thought he had been doing well, until she suddenly burst out onto the courtroom floor. From that moment on, he knew he would never be able to force her from his mind. She had slowly wormed her way in, and he had been none the wiser, until it was far too late to push her away. Severus knew that he needed her. No matter what he had felt for Lily, Hermione outshined her in every way. He didn't think it was possible to feel anything more than what he felt for Lily, but he had been mistaken. Hermione opened a whole new world for him, a world he couldn't leave even if he wanted to.

The repercussions of him going to her and admitting his true feelings would be too much. He was proud, very proud, and explaining what he really felt for her would be putting him in a vulnerable position. Severus would never allow himself to be vulnerable. For twenty years, he had been successful. No doubt she would want to immediately go public if he did say something; Severus could only imagine what her friends would think once they openly admitted they were together and not just married because it was convenient in the effort to stop Voldemort.

He knew deep down inside he was glad that she hadn't signed the divorce papers, or destroyed the marriage license. When Kingsley had pulled the paper from the box, Severus instantly felt relieved, yet was still furious that she had thrown herself in front of the gunfire. He was trying to get her name out of the papers, and in a single second, she had managed to destroy months of work.

Months. He had been locked up for months. Minerva sent him a letter nearly every week, updating him on how the school's reconstruction was going, and mostly about how Hermione and the others were doing. She mentioned that Hermione had passed her exams with flying colors (not that he expected much less from her) and had finally chosen a career for herself, but Minerva would never say what. Even when he asked Arthur, he would avoid his eyes and mumble a different story each time. No one seemed willing to tell him. In any case, he learned of the attack on the Lupins, and how they were all now cooped up in Black's house. Severus, in one of the few times he was allowed to respond to Minerva, warned her of the dangers following the war. There would still be a band of Death Eaters attacking people, especially those who openly rejected Voldemort and his cult. Minerva relayed the information that many of them were being followed, and also made a point of pointing out how lonely Crookshanks appeared most of the time, and that she was sure the fur ball missed Severus (which caused him to roll his eyes).

The next morning, Severus made the journey to Hogwarts, taking special care to stay as hidden as possible. When his eyes fell on the school, he couldn't help the swell in his chest. Hogwarts was almost there; the school had almost fully regained its former glory that was present before Dumbledore was killed. The stone castle had begun to look like it did when he was at school. He quickened his pace through the gates, anxious to walk the halls again. The school year was almost upon them, and he wondered if Minerva would open the school on time or delay until the reconstruction was finished.

His shoes made familiar clicking sounds on the stone of the courtyard as the large wooden doors loomed ahead. Severus climbed the stairs, slowly pushing one of the doors opened. The warm castle air hit him, instantly making him feel at home. Slipping inside, he closed the door over as softly as he could, though he didn't close it without being detected by a keen pair of eyes.

"May I help you?" Minerva asked, not recognizing him because of how tightly he was wrapped in his cloak.

"I thought I might have a word with you," he said quietly.

Her mouth fell open as the blood drained from her face.

"Severus? What on Earth are you doing here? Everyone is wondering where you went off to after the trial! Hermione's nearly –"

"Minerva," Severus cut her off sharply.

"Of course, follow me," she said looking around for any sign of people in the hallways.

Silently they made their way to Minerva's office. Severus made sure to study everything as he passed. Some things still needed a little work, but overall the school looked normal once more. As they entered the familiar room, Minerva took the spot behind the large desk, while Severus took a chair opposite of her.

"Hello, Severus. It's nice to see you again," the portrait of Dumbledore said with a smile.

Severus simply nodded before turning his eyes to Minerva who was studying him closely.

"Headmistress suits you," he mentioned, seeing how natural she looked sitting in the large chair.

"Yes, well, I had large shoes to fill, didn't I?" she replied, giving him a smile.

She could see that he was all business, and instantly changed her tone.

"So, Severus, what can I help you with today?"

"I was wondering if there was any teaching positions not yet filled,"

He could tell she was startled, but he was not in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Well, yes, I haven't had a chance to interview anyone for the positions the Carrows held, but are you sure you want to go back to teaching so soon?"

"Why not? Nothing has changed,"

"Except you were just on trial, the public knows about Albus, and your relationship with Hermione was on the front of every newspaper this morning,"

"Is that your way of saying you won't hire me? I simple 'no' would have sufficed," Severus replied, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course I'll hire you, though the Potions position is filled,"

"I was going to ask for Defense Against the Dark Arts,"

"Yes, that position is opened, if you'd like to take it. I would be more than happy to have you back,"

"I would like the position,"

"Then welcome back," Minerva replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you,"

Minerva wasted no time changing the subject.

"What are you going to do about Hermione?" she asked in a serious tone.

"I think that's my business,"

"That girl, no, that _woman_ worships you. She has no parents and has spent every second of her free time making sure you weren't sent away to Azkaban, knowing full well that you would be killed there if you were sentenced,"

"Of course she has parents," he scoffed. "I've yelled at them before,"

"Were you aware that she altered their memory?"

"Yes, she mentioned it, and I know she went off on a spree with Lupin to find them,"

"Well she did,"

"Then what the bloody hell are you going on about?"

"She decided to leave them there, with their altered memory. Right now, they're somewhere in Australia, running a grocery store. So I repeat. Hermione does not have parents,"

Severus stared at her, soaking in the information. He'd been selfish. When she had returned with the divorce papers crushed in her fists, he hadn't even thought about whether or not she had accomplished her task. Severus was too busy trying to break ties with her.

"Why didn't she bring them to a professional to undo the charm?" he asked stupidly, fully knowing why.

"The process is too risky. It could potentially damage their memory further,"

What had she been through since that day he had basically rejected her admission of love? Severus could feel the guilt in the pit of his stomach. He had been so stupid.

"Now, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly, too caught up in his own thoughts.

"Well, I suggest you figure it out soon. Remus wrote me this morning,"

He didn't even ask for the letter, but she was passing it to him anyway, and he found himself taking the parchment.

_Minerva,_

_I'm sending you this quick note, wondering if you could perhaps drop Crookshanks off at some point today? Hermione could use a good pick-me-up. I showed her the note Severus sent, and she hasn't done anything since, except sit at the kitchen table and wait. I turned in last night, late due to the fact I stayed up trying to get her to eat something or go to bed, but she refused, saying she was fine. I found her in the same spot this morning, obviously not having slept. Send your response. _

_Remus_

Severus flung the letter back on the desk and stood, heading towards the window. Even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings, he had to face her sooner or later, sooner appearing to be the better option. She had expected him to remain at her side the moment he was released, but he needed time and space to sort through things for himself. Severus rolled his eyes at himself. _If he didn't reciprocate her feelings? _Who was he trying to kid? Of course he felt the same way about her. How could he not? She was beautiful in a unique way, as brilliant as some of the professors that were at Hogwarts, and determined to fight for what she wanted, even if that included him. Severus had known for a long while how she truly felt for him, but didn't want to admit it to himself. So many things made him question himself, his age, his past, _their _past, her friends, his co-workers. Everyone would reject their relationship, and they would most likely be ridiculed because of it. The only thing that anyone would focus on is that he had been her professor for six years and had somehow seduced her. Wouldn't they be surprised to find that he wasn't the instigator in this relationship?

"You need to decide soon, Severus, Hermione has been waiting months,"

He didn't say anything, but sighed deeply. He could hear Minerva coming towards him, but refused to look anywhere but the tree line.

"When Hermione showed up at Hogwarts when you were Headmaster, I thought that you were irritated by her presence, but the more I saw you two interact, I knew that there was something more. The night you sent her away, I've never seen you look so sullen. That was the day I knew that you were in love with her, and I realized you weren't sullen at all, you were heartbroken,"

Severus felt his muscles tense at her little speech, and jumped when she placed hand on his arm, drawing his eyes to her.

"You're a stubborn man, Severus, but there's no use fighting what you already know. You'll just be hurting yourself in the long run,"

Without waiting for a response, Minerva left the room, humming quietly to herself.

Severus knew what he had to do, and Minerva was right. Of course she was right; she was right all of the time. He could spent the rest of his life telling himself he didn't feel for her in the same way she felt for him, but he knew he'd regret every moment of keeping his feelings a secret from her.


	61. I'm in Love with You

**Hey guys! I know this is overdue, but I hope the length makes up for it! Let me know what you all think!**

* * *

><p>Severus returned to Spinner's End that night, spending his time pacing around the house, brow furrowed. How could he just show up there and tell her how he felt? How could he possible expect her to react to that, after everything he had put her through?<p>

Three days went by, and he spent his time much in the same fashion, eventually talking himself into the ultimate conclusion that would begin with her shunning him, rejecting his advances, and essentially throwing him from the house. How could she possibly want him after all of this time? She must think he's ungrateful for everything she had done for him because he fled the Ministry the moment he was released without thanking her.

The third night of his horrible thoughts was interrupted by an intense knocking at his front door. The person there was basically pounding on the glass. It was her. It had to be her. Severus swallowed deeply and made his way forward, turning the handle slowly and pulling open the door. He was met by Minerva, and he immediately relaxed.

"Thank God, I thought-"

His sentence was cut off as she suddenly shoved something into his stomach.

"What the-"

"You are being ridiculous. Go to her, now, and tell her everything, or so help me I will forbid you from ever stepping foot onto the grounds of Hogwarts and I will tell her everything myself,"

Severus glanced down at the box in his hands and realized that it was stuffed full of orange fur, and an angry growling.

"Hey, fur ball," Severus greeted, causing the growling to stop.

"Do not make me get involved with this, Severus Snape, I'm warning you," Minerva threatened.

Before he had time to reply, she Apparated. Severus shut the door, taking the cat to the kitchen and placing the carrier on the table. Crookshanks' eyes peeked out of the cage, staying locked on Severus' form.

"I guess it's just you and me," Severus muttered to the cat.

The cat was seemingly unimpressed with that concept, though Severus was sure it was more to do with being stuffed into a cage than anything else. Drinking a few glasses of Firewhiskey, Severus worked up enough courage to pull on his travel cloak and Apparate to Grimmauld Place, cat in tow. Before he lost his nerve, he climbed the stairs and let himself in.

His first thought was to release the cat who was still loudly complaining about being squeezed through space. The second his paws hit the ground, the cat took off towards the kitchen, no doubt looking for food as Severus placed the carrier down.

The hallway was dark, and the only light was coming from the kitchen, where he could hear voices. The last time he had stood in this spot was the first time he and Hermione had kissed. His eyes locked on the door, remembering how he had pressed her against the wood roughly and how she had responded to him. That night they hadn't been sure if they would ever see each other again, and she had begged him not to go. That moment felt as if it was part of another lifetime. The thoughts were instantly forced from his head as a voice filtered into the hallway.

"Minerva, is that you?" Remus called.

Severus took a deep breath and began walking forward, nearly at the doorway just as Remus' frame stepped into view.

"Severus? Where's Minerva?"

"She couldn't make it,"

There was an awkward silence in which both men stared at each other.

"Well, come in and sit down, they should be back soon," a woman's voice said.

Remus turned and retook his seat beside Tonks, as Severus stepped forward, finding the small woman sitting in a chair a few spot from the door with Teddy in her lap. Severus took a seat at the other side of the table, near the end, so he could see the doorway clearly.

"Well Severus, how have you been?" Tonks asked, smiling down at Teddy whose hair was changing colors quickly.

"Fine," he answered quietly, not really up to making small talk with anyone.

Crookshanks jumped into his lap, and Severus subconsciously began stroking the orange fur, finding that the motions calmed his nerves slightly. Remus watched the scene quietly, obviously wary of Severus' presence in the house.

"Hermione will be glad that you're here," he mentioned, causing Severus' hand to freeze.

After a few moments, Severus began to stroke the cat again, causing the pile of fur to finally settle down on his lap. He cleared his throat.

"I want to thank you, for helping me. I assume you two were involved,"

"There weren't very many of us who weren't," Tonks said with a thankful smile.

"You deserved help, after everything you've done," Remus said, keeping his eyes away from Severus, still uncomfortable with being on good terms with him.

Before they could talk anymore, the front door opened, and voices floated down the hallway to them.

"They're back," Tonks muttered, lifting Teddy up and placing him in the pen against the wall.

Remus stood and dug in a cabinet for what appeared to be medical equipment before putting a kettle on the stove. The voices grew closer and the voices louder.

"It's ridiculous what they put us through sometimes," Weasley muttered.

"It's part of the job, so I wouldn't be complaining too much. I'm sure things only get worse from here," Harry replied.

They suddenly appeared in the doorway, immediately freezing when they saw Severus at the table. They were bruised and bloodied. Weasley seemed to be favoring his right leg over his left, while Harry's eye appeared to be swollen slightly, with a large bloody gash just below it.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Ron barked out.

Harry stepped into the room, overcoming his shock quickly.

"It's nice to see you again, sir," he said before taking a seat beside Remus who immediately began fiddling with bandages and potions.

"Come on Ron, take a seat so I can look at that leg," Tonks said, helping Ron into a chair.

Severus' eyes immediately snapped back to the doorway, seeing a small movement. She stepped forward, into the light, her eyes locked on him as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was a gash across her left cheekbone, that had stopped bleeding, but he could still see where the blood had been swiped away. Her lip was split, and her sweater was torn. She looked like she had been in a fight, with dirt on her clothes and her hair slightly wild.

"Hermione, do you need help with anything?" Tonks asked, looking over her quickly.

Hermione stared at him for a moment longer before blinking and looking at Tonks.

"No, I, um, I can handle everything myself,"

At the sound of her voice, Crookshanks jumped from his lap, across the table, and to the floor in order to rub on her legs.

Robotically she reached down and scooped the cat into her arms. Her face was pale and her lips were drawn into a hard line. Her eyes immediately locked back on him, and Severus didn't move a muscle.

"I'm going to bed," she muttered to no one in particular before disappearing and stomping upstairs.

Severus stared at the empty doorway, feeling as if he had just been slapped. Harry paid no attention to him, focusing instead on the cup of tea his was making. Weasley, however, was glaring at him as Tonks and Remus studied his leg.

"Just give her some time," Remus muttered, rolling up his sleeves.

Severus remained at the table as the two were patched up. Weasley immediately left the room when he was able to, but Harry remained, trying to coax Severus into a conversation. After a while, Severus couldn't take it.

"Potter, don't feel it necessary to speak to me, I am perfectly fine with silence,"

"You're married to my best friend, I think it's only right to try and talk to you," Harry said with a shrug, reaching for a sandwich Tonks had prepared.

Ron appeared a short while later, looking more cleaned up.

"She won't open the door," he muttered, taking a seat at the end of the table, giving Severus a pointed look.

Severus was surprised, after all of this time, that Weasley was still fighting the relationship he held with Hermione. Months ago, the idea didn't bother him. Severus was sure of her, of him, and of them as a couple. Now, though, so much had changed, he had hurt her so much. He was looking at this lanky boy as a threat rather than his wife's friend. For the first time ever, Severus was afraid to lose her forever. Lose her not to war, and not because he chose to push her away, but because he had pushed her away so much that when he realized his mistake, she was already too far gone. The same thoughts seemed to fill Weasley's head.

"Ron, this is between Hermione and Severus, and I suggest you leave it that way," Remus said, looking over to the ginger boy.

He didn't reply, but kept shooting Severus glances. His wedding ring felt like a rock in his pocket, silently mocking him. He could hear her pacing above them. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Then the bed would squeak as she climbed into bed, and squeak even louder as she stood to resume her pacing. Nearly an hour went on and he could still hear her footsteps on the creaking floor.

Severus hadn't made a plan, had not thought of what to say to her after all this time. It was obvious she hadn't expected him so soon or at all for that matter. His thoughts were a complete train wreck, and he couldn't imagine Hermione doing much better based on how long she had been climbing in and out of bed.

Potter left a short while later, and Severus could hear him moving things around in a room upstairs. Tonks went to put Teddy to bed, and eventually turned in herself.

"Coming?" she asked her husband.

"In a moment," he replied with the most genuine and tender smile Severus had ever seen on his face.

As her steps died away, Remus sighed. Severus couldn't pinpoint how much time had passed, but the pacing had stopped.

"I don't know what I would do without her or Teddy. Thank you, again, for that night. My son would have been an orphan if it weren't for you,"

"Don't mention it," Severus mumbled.

Remus stood and stuck his hand out to Severus. He hesitated a moment, before reaching out and taking the thin hand offered to him.

"It's nice to have you back, Severus," Remus said, releasing his hand, just as Potter returned.

Suddenly a vial was being held out to him, and his fingers instinctively grasped the glass.

"Your memories, I thought you might like them back,"

Severus studied the flowing smoke in the vial, knowing that everything dear to him was in that vial. He immediately looked up at Potter, looking for some sign of his reaction, knowing full well that he now knew all of Severus' memories.

"I hope you don't mind, but I showed her, Hermione I mean. I took her to the school because I didn't think you'd show up for a while, and she was second guessing everything. I don't think anyone can fake that," he said gesturing to the vial.

Severus knew what he was referring too. The feelings that were associated with the memories were most likely extremely strong due to the fact that Severus had extracted the memories at a moment when he thought he was dying. He tried his hardest to capture every single feeling and sight he could before he was too weak to give anything more. Severus was also well aware of the fact that half of the memories were of Lily, Dumbledore, and his double spy gig, but the rest were all of Hermione. It was a montage of his favorite moments with her.

It started with their first lesson, when she had seen Avery die. The determination on her face stuck in his mind. Then, it was her standing in the middle of the courtyard, looking at the birds he had conjured, smiling at them. Next were the moments she spent in his office, hunched over her homework talking to him about Weasley, or Slughorn's terrible Christmas party. Their first kiss, her frightened face the night he killed Dumbledore, her anger after Potter was moved and he had arrived at the Burrow, dancing in the dark at the wedding, her courage when Death Eaters attacked, and the way she clung to him the night she was nearly taken. Of course mixed into these memories were those of her writhing on the ground, screaming in pain as Voldemort hovered over her, thrill flashing through his cold snake-like eyes. Most of the other memories were snap shots of her, appearing happy, reading in a chair, or talking to that fur ball when she thought no one was looking.

Severus blinked a few times, remembering that there were other people in the room. His eyes landed on Potter, waiting. Potter seemed confused.

"And?" Severus prompted.

"And what?"

"What did she say?" he snapped, becoming irritated.

"Nothing, she kind of smiled and cried. Then she disappeared for a few hours, and I'm assuming she went to the Astronomy Tower, that's where we usually find her,"

Of course. The Astronomy Tower. It was the same place where he found her after seeing memories of her parents, and the place where Severus spent most of his time thinking about her. Silently he slipped the vial into his robes, making sure it was secure. He cleared his throat as his muscles became tenser than before.

"Thank you," he muttered to Potter, who nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Severus immediately walked around the table, behind Weasley and into the hallway. Pausing for a brief moment at the bottom of the stairs, he inhaled deeply. This was it.

"Third floor, end of the hallway," Remus said from behind him.

Severus turned to the man, nodding subtly before turning back to the stairs that were becoming more ominous by the second.

"You can't just let him go into her room!" Weasley snapped.

"Ron," Potter hissed in warning.

"But-"

Severus began climbing the creaking stairs, leaving the disgruntled red head behind him. Each stair seemed to creak louder than the next, and Severus was sure his hearty and the stairs were in a vicious duel to see who could be louder. He reached the last set of stairs, finding himself climbing them slower than all of the other stairs. When his feet reached the landing, he froze, his eyes locked on her closed door. There was no light, and her pacing had stopped a while ago. His self-preservation was starting to kick in. The same voice that had told him Hermione would shun him was now trying to point out that another night wouldn't hurt anyone, she could just sleep and he'd come around the first thing in the morning. Severus felt his knees wobble slightly, unsure of whether to move forward, or turn back around. A sudden wave of rage consumed him, rage that was directed at himself. He was being ridiculous! She wasn't going to poison him or throw him out of a window! If anything, she was probably already asleep. This rage allowed him to take the few strides needed to reach her door. His pale hand locked on the handle with such force that his knuckles turned white with strain. _This is it_ he thought to himself as he slowly turned the handle, and pushed the door open.

Severus was met with silence. Blinking a few times, he could barely make out the arrangement of the room in the moonlight spilling in through the windows. On the wall where the door was currently resting was a small dresser that appeared to be as high as his waist. On the far wall, he noticed a large cabinet, towering above him. His eyes immediately darted to the left finding the bed against the wall with a small nightstand beside it. On the wall that contained the bed, there were two windows, one inches from the corner of the room, and the other one echoing it on the other side. In front of one of the windows, there was a simple wooden chair, facing into the room. Once the layout of the room was established, Severus immediately looked to the lumpy bed. If he stayed perfectly still, he could see her breathing evenly. Stepping into the room, he turned to close the door, but was stopped as Crookshanks took this moment to dart from the bed where he had been resting, in an attempt to escape before he was locked back in. Once the door was soundly shut, Severus softly walked to the chair picking it up silently and placing it down near the corner of the room, between the dresser and the large cabinet, afraid to be any closer to the bed.

Severus could feel the blood pulsing through his veins as he sat in the dark, pondering what he could possible do now. Did he just wake her up? Did he wait for her to wake up on her own? Should he even be in the room?

His thought process was interrupted by the sudden change in her breathing; it had become labored. Her body tensed but writhed around as if trying to get away from something. The heavier her breathing became, the more she moved. Small sounds of desperation fell from her lips, indicating she was having a nightmare. Severus stood, about to wake her, but decided against it, returning to his seat. He was the last thing she needed to see hovering above her bed after a nightmare. Hermione was becoming extremely animated, and at the moment Severus was afraid she would begin screaming, she bolted up in bed with a loud gasp. The room was filled with her heavy breathing, obviously the sounds of her trying to control herself.

"You know, they have potions for that," Severus murmured into the darkness.

The sudden rustle told him she was reaching for her wand, but he waved his a second later and heard the distinctive sound of wood clattering to the floor.

"Relax, it's only me," he added, tucking his wand away into his robes.

The room was silent, except for her breathing, which she was trying to conceal. Severus rolled his eyes in the dark, feeling the tension between the two mounting. Wandlessly he lit the candle on her bedside table, and the room became slightly aglow with a warm gold light. He found her sitting perfectly still, nails dug into the mattress and eyes wide. Her hair was damp and he could see sweat on her forehead.

"Hello," he said quietly.

For a moment she stayed completely still appearing as if she had seen a ghost. Then she blinked, shifting her body slightly.

"What do you want?" she breathed quietly, moving to her knees in order to grab a long light grey cardigan from the end of her bed.

He noticed she was in nothing but shorts and a tank top, a strap sliding down her shoulder. Once the fabric was in place, falling to about her knees, she tucked her legs beneath her, pulling the cardigan tight around her body. Severus was trying to figure her out. Was she scared? Shocked? Angry?

"I thought that we should talk,"

"What do you want to talk about?" she said, not meeting his eyes, let alone his person.

What did he want to talk about? So much crossed his mind. Where could he even start? He noticed her getting annoyed with his silence. He was trying to think of something! Hermione turned to straighten out her pillows.

"If you're just going to sit there staring and not say anything, then you can-"

"I'm in love with you,"

His voice sounded foreign to his own ears, rushed and uneven. The words that had just left his lips were especially foreign. Hermione froze, her hand tightening on the pillow. Her hair hid her face, but he could see her heavy breathing as his words sunk in.

"But you already knew that, didn't you?"

She turned her head, meeting his eyes. They were full of fire, full of the hope he had just given her, but she was trying to rein herself in.

"The memories Harry showed-"

"Before the memories,"

He watched her take one, two, three breaths before nodding.

"I-I wasn't sure, I wasn't ever sure," she said quietly.

He stood from his chair and headed towards the window, hands folded behind his back, in order to peer out of the street. I single car was driving, slowly, and eventually made a turn out of sight.

"I spent every moment I had when locked up trying to tell myself that I was just infatuated with you, it was a passing thing, a repercussion for having spent too much time with you. When they let me go, I left because I didn't want to have months of controlling my thoughts and feelings destroyed by a few touches or words. I've done nothing since then but try and talk myself out of this – these feelings. It's incredible, really. You spend your entire life _thinking _through things, logically, and then a single feeling can warp your thoughts so drastically that it leaves no room for logic,"

"Why-" she began as her voice cracked. "Why did you try so hard?"

"Too much was working against us, there were too many negatives. I'm old, my reputation is sullied by the horrors of the past, it is now public knowledge that I murdered Albus Dumbledore, not to mention you were my student for six years,"

"Do you have any positive things to say?" Hermione asked sounding slightly hurt.

Besides he knew he couldn't live without her? But that was just him being selfish. He turned his head towards her, settling his eyes on her form that was curled up in the cardigan. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care about a single one of those things. None of them change the way I feel, and I'm certain nothing ever will,"

Severus felt his chest swell, saw the burning in her eyes deepen, and heard her voice remain steady, full of truth.

"What about what people are going –"

"To hell with _people_," she snapped throwing her hands up. "Not a single one of their opinions matter to me. Look at everything we've done, don't we deserve something in return? We've been through hell and back and I just want this, and they are not going to take that from me, no matter what. They can publish whatever the hell they want, people can sneer at us, make fun of us, be appalled that you used to be my Professor, but that doesn't matter unless you let it,"

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, giving her a smirk.

"So you're content with an old greasy dungeon bat?"

"I'm far more than content,"

He turned his eyes back to the window, musing quietly, but loud enough for her to still hear.

"When we first went to Hogwarts and you blatantly revealed our secret to Minerva, that night, the painting of Albus accused me of being in love with you. He certainly wasn't wrong,"

"Say that again," Hermione said quietly.

"He certainly wasn't wrong,"

"No, the part before that,"

Severus turned to look at her, her eyes wide and her hands balled into fists, frozen in the middle of playing with a silver chain around her neck. He immediately knew what she wanted to hear.

"I'm in love with you," he said in a gruff voice, allowing his emotion to lace the tone.

Her face immediately relaxed into a soft smile, as her eye filled with tears. The chain around her neck was forgotten and her hand fell limply into her lap. Severus was horrified as he saw the tears begin to crawl down her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, afraid he had done something to her.

"Nothing," she said with a sigh and a small laugh, using her middle finger to swipe the moisture away. "It's just, I've waited so long for this, I can't even tell you. I've been in love with you for so long, it was killing me not to be able to say anything, having to deal with it quietly,"

Severus watched as she collected herself, running her hands through her still damp hair. When her eyes met his, he stared at her intently.

"Say it now," he demanded.

The tip of her tongue moistened her lips before she spoke.

"I love you, Severus Snape,"

The words hung in the air as the two kept their eyes locked on one another. Severus released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, but it sounded more like a content sigh. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His body relaxed, and Severus leaned up against the wall, allowing his eyes to fall from hers and rest on the ground. There it was. Everything was out in the open.

"I want to know where your wedding ring is,"

He looked up at her, watching her eyes scrutinize him carefully. Severus reached inside his pocket and pulled out the gold band, watching her eye flash to it for a brief moment before they slid back to his face.

"After the trial, I called you. I turned my ring twice, and you didn't come. My ring was cold, and I knew…I knew that you didn't have yours on,"

Severus could feel the heartbreak in her voice, feel it pulsing through his own veins. He instantly set to replacing the ring to where it rightfully belonged. He welcomed the weight of the ring back on his finger, a weight he had been without for months.

"I needed time to think about things," he responded, seeing how it did little to rectify the pain he had caused from not replacing the very symbol of their union as soon as he was able to.

"Never again, " he said, catching her eyes, "It will never leave my finger again. I promise,"

She studied him for a short moment, before offering him a small smile.

"One more thing," she said suddenly serious again.

"Hm?"

"If things get…rough, you have to promise to not push me away again. You tried once, and I'm not going to let you do it again,"

"Agreed,"

The room fell silent for a long while. The two were soaking everything in that had been said. Severus was studying her closely, realizing that he had won her back, though he now knew he had never lost her to begin with. This glorious and beautiful woman had waited all of these months for him, trusted him unconditionally, and loved him with every fiber of her being. Severus knew that he had just begun what he would look back on as the best part of his life, and he would never think about sharing it with anyone else but her. A new page had been turned in that dingy room, and Severus, for once, was more than eager for a new chapter in his life to begin.

Hermione took this time to slowly climb from the bed, planting her bare feet on the ground and breaking him from his thoughts. Her bones cracked quietly as she warily made her way over to him, protesting the movement after being in one position for so long. She stopped less than an arm's length away, playing with the hem of her cardigan. Severus had spent too long away from her to have her so close but yet so far. He caught her hand gently in his own, and pulled her towards him, pressing her hand to his chest, allowing his thumb to trace the silver band on her finger.

"I've missed you," she murmured, watching their hands.

Severus didn't reply, but brought a hand to her cheek which caused her to look up into his eyes. He could feel her breath on his face, uneven due to how close they were standing. Slowly he lowered his head to hers, drawing out the moment. His hand found a way into her hair, as his arm wrapped around her waist. Their lips pulled together, and he could feel her hand tangled in his hair while her other latched onto his robes. The fire that consumed the two was something that neither had ever experienced before. Severus could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest as his lips claimed hers. He knew she had let him have the upper hand, but he didn't care. He wanted to dominate her, to claim her as his, once and for all, nothing standing in their way. Severus wanted to exercise his new found right to kiss her to the fullest extent. He could kiss her like this now, and the thoughts off guilt were gone due to the roaring in his ears. Soon though, pulling her against him wasn't enough. Severus turned quickly, breaking them apart long enough to push her against the wall. It reminded him very much of the first time they had kissed and how he had brazenly pushed her against the door with his body. He could feel every curve of her body through his robes now as his arms locked around her waist and hers around his neck. Instantly he sought out her lips, attacking them more intensely this time. They were teetering dangerously close to the edge of losing all control, and Severus barely registered that thought as his hands slipped beneath her shirt to caress the small of her back, one venturing higher to between her shoulder blades, or how her hands had undone the buttons of his robes and shirt, just wide enough so she could press her hand against his bare skin. As he pushed more of his body weight on her, Hermione moaned quietly, instantly clearing his mind and planting his feet back on the ground. He pulled back slightly, seeing her flushed face in front of his, and noticing her wrinkled clothes. Hermione seemed to return to Earth the same instant because she was suddenly appearing panicked.

"We should stop," she said breathing heavily.

"I agree," he replied in much of the same way.

"It's too soon, we just sorted things out, let's not rush into things,"

He nodded his head as he watched her re-button his shirt with shaky hands. Severus removed his hands from her skin, making sure to replace the hem of her tank top to its proper position. Her hands became steadier as she made quick work of the buttons of his robe. When she was finished, Hermione rested both of her hands on his chest, sighing deeply, a smile playing on her face.

Severus made sure to gather every detail of the scene in front of him. Her cheeks were tinged red, while her eyes flickered in a way that made his heartbeat quicken. Her hair was frizzy because of his hands, but her swollen lips drew the most of his attention. She was radiant, and blissful, and when her eyes met his, a wide grin stretched across her face.


	62. Protective

**Hey everyone! I know, I've sucked with the updates the past few weeks, but my break is next week and all of the teachers have been cramming so much work down our throats that I barely have a moment to even sleep.**

**Also, I have to say, Souls of Courage is winding down. We're almost to the end. I really hope you guys enjoy these last few chapters.**

**Let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>"There is no place else in the world that I'd rather be," she said quietly to him.<p>

"Mm," he agreed, leaning down to press his lips against hers gently.

When they pulled apart, Hermione walked around him and climbed back into bed, patting the spot next to her. Severus didn't move.

"I don't think that's such a good idea,"

"I won't do anything, I promise. You and I have a lot to talk about. You might want to get comfortable; it's going to be a long night,"

He looked at her for another moment before shuffling towards her. He climbed into the small bed, sighing deeply.

"I'm glad one of us is confident in their will power," he mumbled, stretching out beside her.

"We're just going to talk. Could you blow out the candle?"

The same way he had lit it was the same way the flame was extinguished.

"So," Hermione sighed into the darkness. "Where should we begin?"

"What were the three of you doing all of these months?"

The room was silent for a little bit.

"Do you know what a horcrux is?"

Severus felt his heart jump slightly. He had come across a few passages when his interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts had begun.

"A person has to kill another, so their soul can split. They conceal that part of their soul in an object," he replied.

"Yes," Hermione began nervously. "Voldemort made a horcrux. In fact, he made seven,"

"Good God," Severus blurted out.

"Professor Dumbledore had taken Harry with him, when he was searching, before his death. After that, Harry told Ron and I, but then I promised Professor Dumbledore that I wouldn't leave you alone, so they had to go on alone. We had to break into the Ministry to find one, Dolores Umbridge had it. That was the day you found us in the woods. We needed the sword because it was the only thing that could destroy the horcrux. It's goblin made, and when Harry killed the Basilisk in his second year, the sword was impregnated with the venom. The goblin that helped us into Gringotts took it as collateral. I'm sure you saw in the paper that we broke into Bellatrix's vault. Harry suspected that she was hiding a horcrux there, and he was right. It…it was around that time that I started to realize the reason that he could hear them. Of course I couldn't tell him, but I knew. Even when we were in the Room of Requirements, he could hear it, so when Voldemort said to go to the forest, I knew that he would have to…"

Her voice cut out, and Severus could feel her taking deep breaths beside him. He patiently waited for her to collect her thoughts.

"I wanted to go with him, no one should be alone when they have to do something like that, but he wouldn't allow it," she spoke softer than before.

"I saw you on the stairs,"

Severus felt her turn to him, but he kept his eyes on the ceiling.

"I knew you wouldn't stay in the Boathouse like I told you to,"

"You three wouldn't have gotten very far if I had,"

"I'm glad you didn't stay, that way he could see what side you were really on before Harry killed him,"

Severus was silent, but he was also glad to be able to reveal his true colors.

"And what about the Chamber?" he prompted.

"When we lost the sword, we had to find another way to destroy the remaining pieces, and Ron remembered the venom and that the remains of the Basilisk were most likely still in the Chamber, so while Harry went to look for another horcrux, Ron and I went to collect the teeth,"

"So what objects did he use to hide the pieces of his soul?"

"First there was the diary that Harry found in his second year, then it was Voldemort's grandfather's ring, then the locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Nagini, and then Harry, though Harry was unintentional. The night Voldemort tried to kill Harry a part of his soul attached itself to the only living thing in the room. It explains why Harry can talk to snakes and why he was able to have a connection with Voldemort's mind, as well as hear a Horcrux if he was near one,"

"Why couldn't you tell me this? I could have helped,"

"We couldn't risk it. Remus doesn't even know. No one does. Plus, you were working closely with Voldemort, and if he had found out what we were looking for, there isn't a chance in the world we would have won. You don't know how many times I almost told you everything, just to be able to tell someone what was going on,"

They fell silent for a long while after that. He could tell she hadn't fallen asleep; she was picking at her nails. The grandfather clock in second floor hallway chimed, signaling that it was three in the morning. Hermione signed deeply before turning onto her side, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her cheek on his chest. Severus shifted his arms so he could stroke her hair gently.

"What were you dreaming about before you woke up?" he asked into the darkness.

Her hand tightened on his robes.

"I don't know, just flashes of the war, things like that,"

Severus didn't push her, though he knew she wasn't being honest with him.

"What have you been doing since Kingsley released you?" she asked.

"Thinking,"

"That's all?"

"That's all,"

Another long stretch of time passed between the two. Severus allowed his eyes to slip closed, his fingers still stroking Hermione's hair.

"Have you been reading the papers?"

Severus opened his eyes and glanced down at her, though he knew she couldn't see him.

"Should I be?"

"No, the last one I read was the day you were released. People are just rude, and I'm sure they're nastier now,"

"I'm sure Weasley has been eating it up," Severus replied.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione sighed shaking her head. "I wish I could say something that would help him move on,"

"He seemed confident enough tonight,"

"My mood hasn't been the best the past few days, so he probably assumed that this was over. He was the one who told the papers about everything,"

"Son of a –"

"He came here," Hermione said, cutting him off. "After you were arrested because he thought that having you out of the picture would make me change my mind,"

"Is that when he hit you?" Severus asked harshly, remembering the bruise on her face.

"Yes, the day before Mr. Weasley snuck me into the Ministry,"

"When I see him tomorrow, I'm-"

"I attacked him; it was my fault, really. He said horrible things about you and I just snapped. He accidentally hit me, it's fine, and you don't have to worry about it,"

"Maybe I can accidentally hit him,"

"Severus."

He sighed into the darkness.

"Fine,"

After a pause, Severus spoke.

"Whose idea was it to break you into my cell?"

"Mr. Weasley came to me and said you wouldn't listen to anyone, so he thought I could, judging by what the papers were saying about us,"

"Hm," he replied.

"Though it apparently did little good,"

"I told you to just leave it alone. Of course I forgot who I was talking to, stubborn Gryffindor,"

"I told you one way or another, I was going to get you out,"

"And you did,"

"And I did," she whispered with a smile in her voice.

Severus mulled the information over in his head, thinking through everything he wanted to talk to her about.

"I wonder what Weasley will think tomorrow," he mentioned.

"What is your obsession with him?" Hermione asked, sitting up to look at his face in the dark.

"He had me thrown in jail for a chance to win you over; I think I should be concerned,"

"He was just worried that you had me under some sort of spell. He was looking out for me, that's all,"

"As far as I'm concerned, that's far from 'all',"

Hermione placed her head down with a sigh.

"No matter what he does, I could never…not after you…I couldn't…"

She trailed off with a sigh of frustration.

"What I'm trying to say is that Ron and I had our chance, in school. He chose to pursue another course, so I moved on with my life. I don't think that anyone could replace this," she muttered, tightening her hold on his robes. "Not even Ronald," she added with a smile in her voice.

Her confidence and devotion settled his nerves about Weasley. Severus was relieved that his pushing hadn't driven her away, but made her cling to him even more. He went to tell her, but she instantly cut him off.

"If you say another word about Ron, I will hex you,"

And that settled it. He remained quiet with a smile on his face. Some of his character had rubbed off on her, especially when it came to his temper. Another hour chimed by, but Severus wasn't drowsy in the least. For the most part, his life was back on track, and he was holding the woman that he loved more than air in his arms. He couldn't remember feeling this good, about anything. It was a new experience for him, to be sure. Twenty years he had suffered and blamed himself for Lily's death, but not anymore. Severus found his thoughts distracted by Hermione playing with a button on his robes, wrapped in her own thoughts.

"I'm going back to teach," he mentioned.

"Really?" Hermione asked, propping herself up to face him.

"I asked Minerva the other day, and she said she'd take me on,"

"I thought you didn't like teaching very much. That's always the impression I got," Hermione said with a smile before snuggling closer to him.

"I like to teach, I like enlightening others, it's just when I have a group of idiots to instruct, it gets frustrating,"

"They're not all idiots. You intimidate them,"

"Good,"

Hermione laughed quietly causing a corner of his mouth to lift.

"In any case, I'm happy you're going back to teach. I think it's a nice gesture, on your part,"

"A nice gesture?"

"Yes, even after everything you're still willing to contribute to education and the community, instead of locking yourself away from the world,"

"You are aware that most parents will refuse to have a class taught by a former Death Eater and murderer,"

"You weren't charged with anything, so they can't make those claims,"

"They still know. If they had decided to have a retrial, I would have been convicted. You know that I would,"

"But they cleared you, and that's all that matters. I don't care about things that could have happened; I just care about what did happen," Hermione snapped.

He had upset her. Severus didn't realize how touchy of a subject it was with her. She rolled away from him so she was on her back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's fine," Hermione cut him off, though he knew she was crying. "You're right, you know. If they had decided to retry you, the evidence against you is indisputable, even if you had put up a defense, they would have found you guilty. That's what scares me. What happens if someone decides to bring something up in the future and they have a trial again? All of this will be dug back up, pardon or no pardon. I pulled out all of the stops to get you out this time, and I don't know if that's going to be enough the next time,"

"I don't think it gets much worse than killing Albus Dumbledore,"

"You didn't kill him, he asked you to,"

Severus could tell she was becoming irritated again.

"I held the wand,"

She remained silent for a few moments.

"I'm hungry," Hermione said, sitting up and climbing from the bed.

Severus instantly missed her warmth, but that was overpowered by his confusion.

"What?" he asked, remaining stretched out on the bed.

"I'm hungry, and judging by how much weight you've lost in the past few months, I'm assuming you haven't eaten a decent meal in quite a while,"

He could hear her on the floor, moving around.

"Ministry food isn't exactly a Hogwarts dinner," he muttered, sitting up, wondering what she was doing crawling around.

"Where did you throw my wand?" she asked.

Severus pulled out his wand, and summoned hers to his hand.

"Here," he muttered, standing up and heading to where he could see her form near the door.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing her wand.

He didn't let go.

"What?"

"We were just talking about Albus,"

"I know," she replied casually, pulling her wand clear out of his hand and opening the door, signaling her desire to avoid the conversation.

"Well, are you coming?" she whispered from the hallway.

Seeing no reason to stay alone in her room, he swiftly followed her, closing the door softly behind him. As they walked past the rooms, Severus could hear people breathing softly, still asleep seeing as it was now five in the morning (he glanced at the clock as he passed). Hermione's feet made soft pattering noises on the wood floor and he could hear her quietly humming to herself. When they entered the kitchen, Hermione lit only two candles, leaving the rest of the room in darkness.

"Hello, Crookshanks," Hermione greeted warmly as she dug through the cabinets and the fridge.

Severus took a seat at the table, watching her, until the cat decided to jump on his lap.

"One thing I can say for Grimmauld Place," she said, waving her wand this way and that. "There is always something to eat, and you never have to scrounge for ingredients to make a meal," she said eyeing him over her shoulder and giving him a pointed look.

"I'm sure more competent people do the shopping in this house," he volleyed back easily with a smirk.

"I still prefer Spinner's End; it's smaller, but comfortable. You'd be surprised by how stuffy this place can get, especially when all of the Weasleys are here,"

Severus could barely contain himself when she said she preferred his home over this. Spinner's End was always covered in an endless dust, the floors were creaky, the basement was damp and smelled of potion experiments, and the windows did little to keep the cold damp air out.

"I'm sure the company is more enjoyable at Spinner's End," he mentioned with a smile.

"Severus Snape is being funny, never thought I'd see the day," Hermione said with mock horror before giving him a wide smile.

Before long, the room was filled with the smell of bacon and eggs. Hermione worked efficiently, even taking time to stroke Crookshanks and give him a generous portion of his own food. The dishes were washed and put away, coffee was made, and the paper was delivered. Hermione took one look at the headline, scoffed, and tossed the paper into the fireplace. Severus casually looked over at the headline: SNAPE VANISHES AFTER TRIAL. SUSPECTED OF RETURNING TO LEAD THE DEATH EATERS.

"Is that what they usually print?" he asked.

Hermione turned, and followed his gaze to the fireplace before turning back around.

"Every day it's something new. Whether you're becoming the new Voldemort, leading a Death Eater revolution, or running off with a mistress, they never seem to be able to get the facts straight,"

"Mistress?" he asked with a smirk.

Hermione placed a cup of coffee in front of him with a small glare.

"Yes, according to them you've had some mistress stowed away in Russia, and I was utterly heartbroken when I discovered her," Hermione said dramatically before smiling.

Severus shook his head before pulling the steaming cup closer to him. It had been a while since he had had a hot or even semi-warm cup of coffee. He took a small sip, relishing the bitter taste on his tongue. Before he could appreciate his coffee much longer, Hermione placed a plate down in front of him.

"I'm sure the others will be up soon with the smell of food wafting around the house,"

"Thank you," he said realizing how long it had been since he had eaten a decent meal.

Hermione sat across from him, with a noticeably smaller plate, and a cup of tea.

"I like this new you," she said picking up her fork.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"The new me?"

"Yes. You're kinder, I mean, not that you weren't before. It's just more prominent. You don't look as if you're single handedly trying to carry the whole world on your shoulders. I don't know, you look younger and healthier, well, as healthy as a man who was locked up for months can look,"

He offered her a small smile, and the two ate in silence. Hermione allowed Crookshanks to eat the remainder of her eggs as she sipped at her tea. As Severus was nearing the end of his plate, he suddenly looked up at her and reached for his coffee.

"Minerva told me you chose a career,"

Her eyes immediately dropped to her cup which she placed on the table, as she pulled one foot up on to the chair and hugged her leg to her chest.

"I did,"

"And?" he asked, taking another gulp.

"You might want to finish eating first,"

"I'm done," he said, feeling a slight panic setting in at the fact she wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Then I would put your cup down,"

He immediately did so.

"You can't freak out," she began, eyeing him carefully.

He didn't say anything, just simply looked at her.

"Well, I passed my exams, and they gave me a list of careers I would be suitable for. Well, Harry and Ron had started training to be Aurors, because Kingsley said that the department had been nearly wiped out, so they were taking anyone, no matter what. Well, I was initially set on being a Healer, but-"

"Hermione." he cut her off. "Get to the point,"

"I want to be an Auror, I've already started my training," she said with wide eyes.

The two kept eye contact, but Severus could see Hermione's eyes darting around his face anxiously.

"I've upset you. I know that it's dangerous, and that there's a high risk for permanent injury, but I can do it, I know I can, it's just some parts are a little more difficult, and the missions are becoming more rigorous, but I think in a few months I'll have the hang of it," she said, becoming flustered and trying to plead her case.

"What?" he asked, coming out of his daze. "What are you going on about?"

"All the blood left your face, I thought you were going to start going on about what an idiot I am for doing this,"

"If you haven't noticed, I'm usually the color of a corpse," he said without humor while grabbing his cup.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, pulling her leg tighter to her chest.

He paused a moment, staring into the black liquid in his cup.

"Of course I'm going to say it's dangerous, because it is,"

He saw her crest-fallen face.

"But," he quickly caught her attention. "It's obviously something that is very important to you. You are more than capable of handling yourself; I'm not worried about that. I'm not going to tell you what to do, you are your own person, and you are perfectly capable of making your own decisions,"

"Wow," she said loosening her grip on her bare leg. "That went so much better than I thought it would,"

"Oh?"

"In my head it was a whole lot of you yelling about me being an idiot and how after everything I've survived I was basically walking to my death…you know, typical you being extremely protective,"

"I'm not extremely protective," he immediately protested.

Hermione remained silent, looking at him with a raised eyebrow that clearly said 'really?'. Severus frowned at her before grumbling to himself and looking into his almost empty cup.

"Sometimes it's nice to know that someone is looking out for you," she said in a clear attempt to mull things over.

Severus raised his eyes to hers for a moment, before a sudden thought popped into his head.

"Minerva said you found your parents,"

"Yes," Hermione said, looking away from his eyes. "I'm sure she told you that I didn't bring them back or fix their memories,"

"She did,"

"Well, that's that," she said scooping up their plates and bringing them to the sink. "More coffee?" she asked, moving to his side to take his cup.

Severus caught her hand before she could reach the cup, studying her face. She was struggling without her parents, he could see.

"I know it must be hard for you,"

"It's bearable," she muttered, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Hermione," he said softly.

In seconds her façade crumbled as she attempted to cover her face with her free hand. Severus' chair scraped across the floor as he stood to pull her into his arms, unsure of what to do with a crying woman. She pressed her face into his robes, crying quietly. He held her until her sobs subsided and she pulled away, wiping at her face. He brushed a stray tear from her cheek and she smiled slightly, but wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm fine, really. It's just stress,"

"I was rude when you came back from Australia. It didn't even cross my mind to ask you about them,"

Hermione laughed and swiped at her eyes once more.

"We had more important things to worry about at the moment if I remember correctly,"

He couldn't help but smile as she looked at him accusingly.

"I do remember you setting fire to my desk,"

"That's what you get for sending me divorce papers,"

"I guess I won't be making that mistake again,"

"Good," Hermione replied, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull his face down to hers.

As Severus went to embrace her, footsteps were suddenly on the stairs, and the two immediately separated out of sheer habit. Severus sighed in frustration as he took his seat while Hermione took his cup to refill it.

"Get used to it," she said placing the refilled cup in front of him. "You barely get a moment to yourself here,"


	63. Almost

**Hey! Sorry this took so long, but my break wasn't as relaxing as I thought it was going to be.**

**After this, things will start moving pretty quickly seeing as we're approaching the finish line.**

**Keep the reviews coming! They make my day :) **

* * *

><p>She retook her seat just in time for Remus to appear in the doorway.<p>

"Good morning," Hermione said as Severus simply nodded in his direction.

Remus was frozen for a moment at the scene before him before replying to her.

"Morning," he said shuffling into the kitchen to make himself some tea.

"Nice to see you again, Severus, when did you get in?" he asked.

"He never left," she said to Remus.

The room fell silent, and Hermione quickly began backtracking, hearing how that might sound with relation to their wrinkled clothes.

"We talked about things, that's all," she stuttered, causing Severus to smirk at her.

Remus took a seat beside Hermione.

"And?" he inquired, looking mostly at Severus with a harsh eye.

Severus turned to Hermione, asking her silently 'well?', leaving the decision up to her.

"I…I think everything is settled," she responded, studying Severus' face.

"You're staying together?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, beaming.

Severus noticed how radiant she looked from across the table. When he had seen her the night before, she had been pale and tired, but now she had a brilliant smile on and was chatting happily with Remus, who also seemed to notice the change in her.

"You're happier, it's nice to see you happy," he mentioned.

"I am happy," Hermione replied with a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

The three chatted quietly at the table, about trivial things, not wanting to delve into the deeper issues. Remus told Severus about Teddy, and Severus talked about his incompetent lawyer as well as his new teaching position. It was when Hermione's training was brought up that things slightly shifted. Remus pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket handing it to Hermione.

"I got this before I came down from Arthur. It looks like George's shop was attacked last night,"

"Was he there?" Hermione asked, looking up from the parchment.

"No, he had gone home,"

"Thank God,"

"Look at bottom," Remus pointed out.

Severus could tell that Arthur had enclosed something in his own letter. Hermione placed Arthur's letter down, and focused mainly on the tattered parchment that had been concealed inside.

"It's the same as the others," she mentioned.

Remus suddenly looked up at Severus in a way that reminded him of the way Albus used to look at him right before he was going to ask Severus to so something, a way that made his hands tighten on his cup.

"Severus, maybe you could help us," he mentioned.

"I haven't told him," Hermione said, looking up.

"Told me what?" he asked, looking between the two.

"Since Voldemort was killed, and most of the Death Eaters captured, we've all been getting threats, and most of us are being followed. Hermione and I were attacked in public when we were in Australia,"

Severus turned to her, but she made a point of keeping her eyes away from his.

"Anyone involved with your case was told to keep out of the trial, which included the destruction of the memories that we had been collecting, or their families would be hurt. We know their threats aren't idle, and that's why many of us stay here. Molly has even thought about moving in for a little while,"

"So the main people who are being targeted are those in the Order, and those involved in freeing me?" Severus asked.

"Yes, and they must have known that Hermione wasn't going to follow their directions, seeing as they showed up at your trial,"

"At first we thought it was a prank, but then things started happening, people were being followed, and homes were destroyed," Hermione added.

"Why are they still sending threats if I'm already out?"

"They didn't want you to be convicted," Remus said with a slightly dark tone to his voice.

Severus looked between the two, Remus deathly serious, and Hermione anxiously fiddling with her necklace.

"Ahh," Severus said quietly, the thought suddenly hitting him.

"If you couldn't guess before, most of these threats are about us," Hermione said.

"Can I?" Severus asked gesturing to the parchment.

Hermione pushed the paper across the table, and Severus instantly picked it up. Angry scrawls were deeply scratched into the paper, forming letters: HELP THE MUDBLOOD AGAIN AND WE WILL DO WORSE.

A harsh drawing of the Dark Mark was near the bottom, just recognizable enough.

"In all of my years of teaching, I think this might be the worst handwriting I've ever come across," he mentioned, reading it over again.

Remus laughed slightly, but Hermione simply stared at him. He ignored her anger and turned to Remus.

"Did you say there are others?"

"Yes, I'll go and get them,"

As Remus left the room, Severus placed the paper down, finding Hermione's eyes still on him.

"You asked me before, what I was dreaming about when I woke up. This is what I dream about. I dream about Death Eaters dragging me out of bed and killing me in the middle of the street or forcing me to watch my loved ones killed. I know that their threats aren't empty, and it's only a matter of time before they find a way,"

Before Severus could reply, Remus returned with a messy stack of parchment, all with the familiar scrawl and picture at the bottom. For nearly an hour Severus studied each sheet, answering questions that Remus asked.

"Do you think that it's just a group of people acting as Death Eaters?" Remus asked.

Severus stared at one piece of parchment with glaring black letters: HE WILL DIE. Lifting his eyes, he rested his elbows on the table, rubbing his face.

"Not likely. Everyone knows what the Dark Mark looks like, especially after the World Cup game a few years ago, they could certainly draw this if they wanted to. But, the way a Death Eater moves is very unique, Voldemort taught each Death Eater how to travel, mainly taking on the form of smoke. It's extremely hard to replicate. I know the Aurors travel in a similar fashion, but they have a more solid form. The figures in the courtroom were without a doubt Death Eaters. This, paired with the attacks on people, I'd say we still have a group of Death Eaters in operation,"

The room was deathly silent, and Severus noticed how Hermione's face had suddenly gone very pale.

"We all know what's going on here," she mumbled quietly.

"They're going to try and kill me for betraying them," Severus said, sitting back in his chair.

"Eventually," she said, lifting her eyes to his face.

He sensed that he was missing something by the look she had in her eyes.

"Voldemort was always obsessed with the pain he could cause a person, both psychological and physical,"

Severus waited.

"You remember, at Malfoy Manor, after we had broken into the Ministry,"

Severus just remembered her on the ground, screaming for what seemed like hours. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"He was attacking you, because he knew and could see what it was doing to _me,_" she said.

She waited for him to get it, but Severus was lost. She jumped from her chair, reaching for each piece of parchment.

"Look at each of these, they're all about me. 'Help the mudblood again and we will do worse', 'take your memories back from the mudblood or we will kill you', 'associate with her again and you will find your family dead',"

Each one she read, she slammed it back to the table.

"They are all about me, about people talking to me or helping me, except for the ones that are addressed to me. All of the notes I got were about them killing you if I didn't stop," she said, shoving the pile at Severus.

"Don't you see what these threats are designed to do?" she asked.

"Obviously to prevent people from helping you," Severus said, unimpressed.

"No, they are designed to isolate me, from everyone. They are trying to scare people away from me by threatening to kill them if they don't obey or even associate with me. Eventually, people will avoid me in fear of their lives and their families,"

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Severus asked, tossing the parchment back to the table becoming agitated.

"They know that Remus and the Weasleys are the biggest obstacle, so they will try to remove them. George was already attacked, and Remus' house was destroyed. Without protection, I become a sitting duck. They could take me without anyone noticing I was gone, because those people would have already severed ties with me,"

"We wouldn't abandon you," Remus said.

"Remus, I expect you to choose your family over me. Would you put Teddy in danger for me?"

He didn't say anything.

"And what could they possibly want from you?" Severus said drawing her eyes back.

"I'm the easiest way to get to you," she said quietly. "They would do the same thing Voldemort did to me that day,"

The room fell silent, and Severus could practically hear the pieces clicking into place in his head.

"They would tell you that they had me, and you would go; they know that you would be willing to trade spots with me, just like I did for you. They would probably make you watch as they killed me before…"

Not a sound could be heard in the room as everything suddenly came together in that moment. Severus knew that she was right; everything she had just said was exactly what a Death Eater would do. What scared him even more was the fact that he would have done everything she said he would, right down to throwing himself in harm's way if it meant saving her. She had done the very same thing for him that day at Malfoy Manor; he could still see the tears hitting the dusty floor as she offered herself up in order to save him.

"Well, we know what to look for," Remus offered weakly.

"When they notice things aren't working out, their plan will morph into something else. It will keep morphing until it is able to slip by us," Severus said with no emotion in his tone.

"What are we supposed to do now?"

"Try and get them before they get us," Hermione replied calmly, straightening out all of the pieces of parchment.

Severus was angry. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Right when his life was finally taking a turn in the right direction, they have to show up and threaten everything again. He had worked twenty years for this, and he was tired of his freedom and peace of mind being dangled in front of his face. Hermione looked like she could hear the thoughts whirling around in his head and smiled gently at him.

"We'll get it right, eventually," she said.

He nodded, just as more footsteps were heard on the stairs. Harry stepped into the kitchen, looking at the scene, before getting his breakfast. Severus was happy that he didn't seem to mind his presence. He sat at the table, immediately digging in, hair sticking up in odd directions, much like his father.

"What's going on?" he asked around his eggs, looking at the papers on the table.

"We were getting Severus' opinion," Remus said quietly.

"Not good?" Harry asked, looking at their expressions.

"Not good," Hermione said.

Remus began to explain things to Harry as Hermione refilled her cup and left the room. Severus waited a moment before following her. Of course he knew where she would be. Pushing the door of the library open, he found her standing in front of the fire place, her cup forgotten on the mantel. She turned when she heard his footsteps. Severus stepped into the room, as she turned and sunk into the couch with a sigh. He stepped forward to read the book titles.

"I'm so tired," Hermione said.

Severus turned to look at her, seeing clearly that the sleepless night was not what she was talking about.

"We've been through a war, I don't think a few Death Eaters are going to be too difficult to handle,"

"There isn't anyone reining them in like Voldemort did, who knows what they're going to do,"

Severus sat on the opposite side of the couch, lounging back, thinking through everything. They had to have a leader, he knew. They had been operating smoothly, and for that to happen, there certainly must be someone at the helm, but who could it possibly be? Severus hadn't kept track of those who were killed in the final battle, and hadn't been reading the papers. Hermione stretched out on the couch, resting her head on a pillow. The dark circles below her eyes were starting to become more prominent especially due to the flickering fire light on her face. Severus watched as her eyes opened and closed slower and slower, until they didn't open again. She looked incredibly peaceful when she was asleep.

"Hermione?" Weasley's voice called from the hallway.

Her eyes snapped open and she immediately sat up.

"What?" she asked looking around.

"Weasely," Severus replied.

"Oh," she muttered, fixing her hair as the red-head entered the room.

"There you are," he said, though Severus was sure that Weasley didn't want him there.

"Can I help you with something?" Hermione asked politely.

"Um…no, I was just looking for you,"

"Well, Mr. Weasley, you've found her," Severus snapped harshly, wanting to attack the boy.

Hermione grabbed Severus' hand and squeezed it, giving him a pointed look. He rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, acknowledging her desire to avoid conflict.

"Was there something that you wanted?" Hermione prompted.

"No, I just wanted to see if you were alright,"

"I'm fine," she replied, giving him a small smile.

"Okay," he muttered.

He stood in the room a moment longer, before shuffling out. Hermione sighed and released his hand, letting her head fall back. Severus felt his hand clench into a fist. The things he would like to say to Weasley would turn his head.

"Don't provoke him, please," her soft voice came from beside him.

"I didn't provoke him,"

"Well don't give him a reason to hate you, he already has one and you don't need to be giving him ammunition,"

"He was the reason this all happened," Severus protested.

"I don't care what he did; we've worked through it,"

Severus didn't say anything as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You need sleep," he mentioned.

"I'm fine,"

She took his hand gently in hers, rubbing her thumb gently against the back of his hand.

"I'm going to go home for a little," he mentioned after a while.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, sitting up to look at him.

"I want to get changed, and sleep a little. I won't be gone for long,"

"Okay," she sighed.

Severus stood, knowing she was following him close behind. When he reached the door, he turned to her, seeing how exhausted she was.

"I'll be back later,"

"How late?"

"Probably after dinner,"

He knew that she wasn't necessarily happy about that, but he needed to give people time to adjust.

"Do you think you can handle them?" he asked looking towards the kitchen.

"Piece of cake," she said with a smile.

"Then I'll see you later,"

Hermione was looking at him expectantly. Severus leaned down and gently pressed his lips against her cheek. Hermione turned her head to capture his lips. She kissed him softly, lovingly. When Hermione pulled away, she sighed quietly.

"I love you,"

Severus looked into her eyes, seeing them burning. His chest swelled.

"I love you too,"

Hermione smiled, kissed him once more, and stepped back.

"Go, the sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back,"

With a small smile, Severus slipped from the house and Apparated into the night.


	64. Normal

**I suck, I know. But these past two weeks, I have been the definition of productive! I'm on my last week of classes, then I have two finals, and then it's break!**

**Let me know what you guys think of this chapter :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>When he arrived home, Severus immediately took a shower and climbed into bed. Even though his mind was buzzing with thoughts, he fell asleep easily. His dreams that night were split between horrifying and wonderful. When he awoke, it was dark out. Panicking, he jumped up to find his timepiece, finding it to be a quarter past nine. Taking his time, he dressed slowly, frowning at the dusty interior of his house.<p>

His mind kept flashing to Hermione, hearing those three words roll off of her tongue. It was everything he didn't know he wanted. Though he still found it hard to express himself, he needed to let her know how much he loved her. He would do anything for her. What Severus was certain of was he would never be comfortable showing affection in public. He had taken a huge leap going this far, and he would never allow himself to become a love sick puppy like Weasley was when he was with that Brown girl.

Severus finished adjusting his robes before Apparating from the house. The lights were dimply illuminating the widows of Grimmauld Place as he let himself into the house. Immediately voices flooded from the library.

"Are you going to move back in with Severus?" Harry's voice floated to Severus' ears.

"I would like to, but it is up to Severus. I would like to have this Death Eater business behind us before that so we can start fresh,"

Severus quietly walked past the living room and into the kitchen where he was bombarded with a slew of red-heads. Before he could blink and leave the room, Molly Weasley sat him down in front of a plate of food.

"Hermione made me put a plate on the side for you," she said patting his shoulder.

A few moments later, she was shouting Hermione to come to the table. Harry and Hermione stumbled into the kitchen, happily talking. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up. Hermione took the empty seat beside him, beaming.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hello," he replied, lifting his eyes to her face for a moment before scanning the room.

Hermione picked up her fork and began eating, listening into the conversations going on around them. Severus could barely keep his eyes from her. He desperately wanted to ask her to come and live with him, but she was right; they needed to finish things off in order to have a fresh start. Before they had a chance to talk, Kingsley entered the room, immediately looking at Severus. Molly was trying to get the man to sit down and eat, but he wasn't having any of it.

"I need to speak to Severus, alone,"

"Why?" Hermione asked, her fork forgotten on her plate.

"Severus?"

Severus stood, feeling all eyes on him, and left the room. When they arrived in the study, Kingsley took a seat at the desk.

"I'm here to ask for your help,"

Severus silently took a seat, waiting for what Kingsley had to say.

"Are you aware that there is a Death Eater problem?"

"It has come to my attention,"

"I need your help in getting rid of them,"

"Don't you have a team to do this for you?"

"They are too busy following rules. I need someone to work outside of the law,"

"I was nearly sentenced to death a few days ago, and now you want me to do something illegal?"

"I would give you complete protection; no one would know that you are involved. This problem is getting out of hand and needs to be handled immediately,"

Severus thought of Hermione, their new life, and the potential of starting a stress free life finally being normal.

"I'll do it,"

Kingsley began giving him details on the project, handing him a file which was a complete copy of the official file from the Auror's office. He listened intently and read the file closely, absorbing every detail he could.

"This is dangerous; I hope you're aware of the consequences if you choose to take this on,"

"I understand,"

It wasn't long after that meeting that Severus began spending his nights hunting down the Death Eaters. Hermione constantly asked him what he was up to and what Kingsley wanted that night, but he never said a word. Severus was well aware that his body was taking on the same appearance it did back during his teaching days, when she would constantly worry about his health.

"Why can't you tell me?" she asked, sitting at the large table at Grimmauld place with him one night.

"It's not important," he replied nonchalantly, taking a small sip from his tepid coffee.

Severus watched as she chewed the inside of her cheek, studying him closely. He remained calm, drinking his coffee and watching with an amused expression as she tried to find the answer. The more she concentrated, the more amusing he found it.

"Stop smirking," she snapped, finally giving up.

"Hermione, we have to go," Harry said quickly from the doorway before disappearing again.

"Coming," she said, getting up and putting her cup in the sink.

Severus watched her slip on a sweater and tie her hair back quickly. He could tell when she was preparing for a mission that was tougher than usual. Her face became drawn and her eyes were wide and alert like she was shutting herself behind a door until the mission was over.

"Are you going to be here when we get back?" she asked, though by the look in her eyes, she knew what he would say.

His pause was enough to answer her question.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she replied leaning down and pressing her lips against his cheek.

Severus watched as she slipped from the kitchen and heard her meaningful strides echo down the hall. He listened to the door close behind the group. Waiting a few minutes, he placed his cup in the sink and left the house.

There was going to be a large Death Eater meeting tonight, he had been tracking them for weeks now, giving Kingsley all the information he could, knowing that the Aurors were a few steps behind and the Death Eaters were becoming reckless. Hermione had been receiving more threats and there had been more attacks. He was specifically told to not be at the abandoned warehouse that night; now that the Death Eaters were pinned down, the 'trained professionals', as Kingsley put it, would step in and do their job. Severus nodded, though he had absolutely no intention of letting Hermione or her friends step into a warehouse full of rouge Death Eaters.

In a flash he Apparated to an abandoned warehouse. He could feel his blood pounding through his veins, reminding him of the meetings he used to attend in the dead of night. A moment later the windows were alight with spells, the silent night shattered by explosions and screams. Severus wasted no time, darting into the slightly opened door.

There was no light, except for when a spell was cast. He could hear people shouting orders at one another and people screaming as they were hit. There were flashes of masks, masks he was only too familiar with. A flash of green suddenly flew by him, causing him to hit the floor in an effort to shield himself. A box near him suddenly exploded, causing him to duck behind a crate, trying to gather his bearings. He yanked his wand out from his robes and quickly began firing spells at the masked figures while expertly moving around.

A flash of light revealed Potter's form, pressed tightly against a column waiting for an opportunity to attack. With impressive reflexes, he spun from the column, firing two quick spells off before shielding himself again. Severus peered around, failing to find Hermione anywhere. Panic flooded his body, and he instantly Apparated in front of Harry, grabbing his shoulders and pinning him against the stone. The boy was momentarily frightened, but his fear was overtaken by the shock at seeing Severus.

"Where is she?" he asked breathlessly.

"Near the front, they have her pinned down," he responded.

Severus looked past the column, using the light of the spell fire as a guide. He couldn't see her, and the panic gripping his heart caused the grasp on Harry's shoulders to tighten. As he was turning his eyes towards him to ask for more information, he saw her form, huddled behind a box. He wasted no time running forward, quickly thrown from his path by the onslaught of green flashes.

He could instantly tell that these Death Eaters were not interested in possibly taking one of them hostage for leverage, but wanted to cause the ultimate amount of destruction in the event that they couldn't get away. They were intent on making sure a very small amount of people left the warehouse alive.

Severus expertly made his way forward, striking down as many Death Eaters as he could. As much as he wanted to Apparate directly to her, the amount of spell fire was too dangerous to attempt it. He would more than likely be hit. After a few minutes of progress, Severus quickly located her again. He watched as a spell grazed dangerously close to her, causing her to press her body closer to the crate she was using for coverage. She had taken on a more subdued role, focused more on surviving than attacking. Her back was pressed flat to the crate, her hands braced against the floor. His eyes looked up; they were aware of her presence.

Severus began pushing forward, thankful that the Aurors were putting up enough of a fight to distract the Death Eaters from immediately striking Hermione down. Finally, he was close enough. Severus threw himself forward, ducking behind a box that was an arm's length away from Hermione's right side. Before she could notice his presence, a spell hit the crate, causing large chunks to rain down on her. She tucked her head to her chest, using her arms as protection.

"Hermione!" he called over the explosions.

Her head snapped up and to the right, her eyes widening upon seeing him.

"Give me your hand!" he called, reaching for her.

Another explosion caused Severus to pull his hand back as he felt the electricity from the spell brush his hand.

"I can't!" she called, shooting a spell around the crate, not watching where it landed.

"Hermione, give me your hand now!"

She had moved to a crouched position now, and he could see by her face she was ready for the last stand. Severus was not going to allow that to happen. Any sense of personal preservation immediately left his body, and he mimicked her position. Before she could process what he was doing, Severus threw himself at her, colliding with her body. The second his arms encircled her, he Apparated them to the back of the warehouse. Not having enough time to regain his footing, the two fell to the ground, Severus' arms encircling her frame, crushed beneath his body. He could immediately feel the pain in his elbows when the collided with the concrete ground, supporting Hermione. She groaned, pushing against his chest. Severus immediately pushed himself up, allowing her room to pull herself out from under him. Once they were on their feet, she looked at him, her breathing still ragged.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, brushing herself off but not upset at the fact he was there.

"It's a long story,"

She didn't push but instead turned her attention to the others who were keeping their heads down.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, peering around.

"Here," he grunted, stumbling forward, looking as if a bear had attacked him.

"And the others?"

Everyone lowered their eyes, not wanting to say anything, but it was enough.

"How many were there to start with?" Severus asked.

"Nine," a man replied.

Severus could feel his mouth hanging open. People shuffled nervously and Hermione's eyes were on him.

"What?" she asked.

"You only brought _nine_ people to a raid? _Nine?"_

"We're fine," she countered, turning back to the crowd. "We need to regroup,"

There were still a few fighting, but in a moment, silence fell over the warehouse. Hermione was speaking to a man who appeared to be in charge while Severus leaned against a pillar. When the silence began, they both turned to look into the large warehouse. Hermione had her wand out, stepping forward towards their makeshift fortress of crates. Things were so quiet people didn't dare move a muscle. Severus stepped forward also, feeling as if something was terribly wrong. Hermione turned to look at him, questioning him fiercely with her eyes. Just as she opened her mouth to whisper to him, a burst of smoke came from behind her. Things appeared to happen in slow motion, but Severus knew the events took less than a few seconds to transpire.

He raised his arm, casting a spell silently. Hermione's eyes widened, and she immediately fell to the ground, just in time for the burst of light to pass through the space her body was just occupying. The spell was absorbed into black robes, sending the figure sailing through the air, ending with a crash against the wall, crumbling to the ground. Severus was on the figure seconds later, tearing the mask away.

"Lucius," he hissed, seeing the long flowing hair.

"Severus," the man groggily answered, recovering from his impact.

Severus couldn't stop himself; he pulled his arm back, packing as much force as he could into the swing of his arm. He felt gratified when he felt the crunch of the man's cheek bone against his knuckles. Severus managed another punch before there were people on him, pulling him away. He wanted to strike that man's face over and over until no one on the face of the planet would be able to recognize him. Deep in his mind, Severus wasn't surprised that Lucius was a part of this group. He'd bet anything that he was leader.

"Round the others up!" someone called.

The remaining people began to scurry around, looking for other Death Eaters that were still left behind. Severus turned, seeing Hermione pulling herself up from the ground, allowing her eyes to stray to Lucius' form as he was pulled from the warehouse. Once he was out of sight, her eyes slid to Severus. Harry and Ron were beside her a moment later, questioning her. She answered politely, slowly edging away from the attention. The moment she was free, Hermione strode over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his body to hers.

They had done it; Severus wasn't sure it was all over, but he was more optimistic than anything at the moment. He wrapped his arms around her body, pressing his face into her hair. They could finally start their lives together, without the threat of death hanging over their heads at every turn. They finally had a chance to be normal.


	65. Malfoy

**Thank you for all of those who are still with this story and reviewed; I can't even begin to tell you how much they all mean to me :)**

**Also, I get to go home tomorrow which means ample amounts of free time for me :) **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>Once all of the Death Eaters were rounded up, they all arrived at the Ministry. Severus silently walked beside Hermione who was speaking to Harry and another man about the Death Eaters in custody.<p>

"We've talked to Malfoy, he said he isn't in charge," the man said.

Severus rolled his eyes. Of course he'd say that.

"We'll just have to get the others to talk. No doubt someone will rat him out to save their own skin," Hermione said.

They moved toward the interrogation rooms, entering a dark room. Severus saw that there was a burly man seated at the table, staring at the door. Seeing only the right side of his face, it was clear the man had been in more than his fair share of fights due to the scars. A moment later, a Ministry official entered the room, reading the man his rights. As the interrogation progressed, Hermione tilted her head slightly.

"I want to talk to Malfoy,"

Everyone in the room turned to look at her, but she was addressing the man in charge. He seemed wary at first, but turned towards the door.

"Follow me,"

Hermione did, but Severus quickly caught her wrist.

"I'm fine," she said, pulling free and leaving the room.

Severus sighed and followed after her, as did Harry and Ron. She wasted no time entering the room, staring down the man who had nearly succeeded in ruining their lives. The rest of them slid into the next room, watched through the glass.

"Malfoy," she greeted coldly.

"Mudblood," he shot back.

Hermione kept her hands folded calmly in her lap, her feet tucked under her chair and her head level. Severus noted how professional she appeared.

"I know it was you," she said quietly.

"What was?" he asked, smirking.

"The notes, the attacks, the threats,"

"I'm not admitting to anything,"

"You don't have to. Your followers are being questioned right now, and when faced with a hefty Azkaban sentence, I'm sure more than one will be willing to throw you under the bus,"

His smirk said that he believed no one would turn on him.

"If I was in charge of such operations, I would have to inform you that things would still move forward without me, Granger…or is it Snape now?" he mocked slightly.

Hermione met his smirk with her own. "Snape will do,"

Severus could feel all of the eyes on his face, and he made sure to keep his expression void, though he could feel his chest swell with joy and pride.

"I'm glad to see the happy couple is still together after all of this time,"

"Even after all of your attempts to destroy us,"

Lucius rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair, the chains on his wrists scrapping across the table.

"Please, I really don't care about you; it was never about you. Betrayal, now that is something I care very much about,"

"You went through all of this trouble because you think someone betrayed you?"

"The Dark Lord always favored Severus, always, but I knew. I knew that he was not loyal. I should have been the Dark Lord's right hand,"

Hermione remained silent, staring at the man without a hint of remorse.

"Over twenty years I watched him worm his way in, taking everything that was supposed to be mine, that filthy half-blood," he growled.

His eyes suddenly flashed to her.

"For all those years I tried to find something that could tear Severus off of that pedestal everyone put him on. I didn't know that it was going to be this easy to find it; you practically walked into my life,"

Severus' eyes flickered from his wife's face, to Lucius' face. She was calm and composed while he was hiding his simmering rage.

"Who knew you'd come so nicely wrapped, even if you are a disgusting mudblood," he sneered at her.

Revulsion flashed in her eyes at the way he was looking at her, but it didn't alter her face.

"Why didn't you go into hiding after the war? You could have taken your wife and son and left,"

"And abandoned the Dark Lord's work? For years he worked for this, and many of us were not willing to give up, even if our master was destroyed – you can't destroy an idea. _His_ idea,"

"And what about Harry?"

Lucius rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"He's of no importance. Eventually, after our main objective is achieved, we will kill him. Just for fun, and to avenge the Dark Lord's death,"

"And Severus?"

"He'll go before Potter, clearly. Betrayal does not sit well amongst our kind. We're known for holding a grudge,"

Hermione stared at him for a long moment, barely moving.

"What about those who no longer wish to be involved with you?"

"They're already being taken care of,"

He gave her a knowing smile, and her eyes widened in understanding.

"Of course," she said quietly. "The murders that have been in the paper,"

Severus was aware of a string of murders that had been taking place recently, and he recognized nearly all of the names listed – they had all dealt with Voldemort. Now Severus knew that their deaths were a result of their desire to leave their Death Eater days behind. Lucius was punishing them for their disloyalty.

"My son told me you were smart,"

Hermione remained quiet, pondering his words for a few moments before he spoke again.

"Are you going to ask about yourself?" he mocked with a grin.

"I don't see how I can be involved in your schemes,"

"Stupid girl, do you think I'm just going to use the Killing Curse on your coward husband? What better way to destroy him but from the inside out?"

He leaned forward in a way that made Severus take a step towards the glass, afraid for Hermione.

"I want him to see the light leave your eyes, I want him to listen to your screams for hours, echoing around the room, I want him to see your face in pure agony," he whispered quietly to her in a hiss.

Severus could see Hermione's eyes flicker for a moment, appearing slightly watery.

"Then I'm going to let him look at your corpse for a little while longer before I kill that bastard,"

"This is all going to be very difficult from your cell in Azkaban," Hermione countered back though Severus could detect the small waver in her voice.

"People know what must be done. Sticking a few of us in a cell is not going to change the course of events that are to come,"

"Is your son going to fill his father's shoes?" Hermione replied with an edge to her voice.

"Draco will perform his duties,"

"I suggest you find a new successor, or you might as well kiss your plans of mass corruption and domination goodbye,"

"You think my son incapable of being a leader?" Malfoy hissed.

"I've known your son since my first year at Hogwarts, and I can assure you, I've never met a bigger coward in all of my life,"

In a flash, Malfoy was on his feet with a roar, tugging at the chains on his wrists.

"How dare you insult a Malfoy!" he roared.

Hermione had jumped up, her chair falling backwards as she looked at Malfoy, fighting against his chains.

"My son is not a coward!"

"This coming from the man who fled from battle! You were presented with a perfect chance to fight for your 'master', and you ran away!"

"Get her out of there, now," Severus snapped, seeing the rage in Lucius' eyes.

"Filthy mudblood! I'll kill you with my bare hands! Mark my words!"

"I'm only telling you the truth. You remember that day at your house, don't you?" Hermione said, pressing her hands to the table, peering into the crazed man's face.

Everyone froze. Lucius stopped fighting his chains and the man in charge of the interview turned away from the door to look back in the glass.

"You knew it was us – I know you recognized Ron and I, and if you didn't, your son certainly did. Who else would we be travelling with, other than Harry? My Stinging Hex didn't make a difference, your son knew it was Harry in that house, and he still didn't open his mouth about it. He could have changed the course of the war, saved your precious master, but he didn't, and so here you are,"

Lucius spit at her, and she managed to jump back before it could strike her.

"You lying bitch!"

"You're only angry because you know I'm right!" she cried, becoming angry now.

Lucius lifted his leg up, kicking the table at her. Hermione reached out and stopped it before shoving the furniture to the side and stepping around it. Her wand was out a second later, a spell striking Lucius and sending him to his knees. Hermione strode to him in a moment, locking her hand around his throat and forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"I have been through hell and back for nearly two years. You and your people nearly killed my friends and my husband. Because of you, I have no parents. After the war I was expecting to be able to live a life without all of this crap going on, but you had to go and make a mess of things again, and I'll be damned if you screw with my life anymore. This ends tonight. If you or any of your people attack anyone I know ever again, I am going to make sure you regret the very moment you were born,"

Hermione shoved him backwards, sending him to the floor just as the man in charge barged in. Severus was frozen, barely believing the words that were leaving her mouth. She was so full of rage, Severus was sure he had never seen her like that before. Even through it all, he was in awe of her. The man grabbed Hermione's arms from behind and began dragging her from the room.

"You're going to rot in Azkaban, Lucius Malfoy, I can promise you that,"

The blond man raised his head to look at her before the man could drag her away, slamming the door behind him. Severus could hear yelling in the hallway, and instantly left the room to see.

"That is not how we conduct interviews!" the man shouted at her.

"He kicked a bloody table at me and spit, do you expect me to just take that?!"

"Yes! It's your job to not react to anything they say or do!"

"Well I didn't hurt him, and I could have just as easily done that,"

Severus could see the rage nearly pouring off of her, her hair frizzy and wild and her muscles tense.

"I don't care what you did; you're off of the case now. Go home. I'll have your new assignment on your desk tomorrow morning,"

"You can't take me off the case!" she protested.

"Don't make me fire you, Hermione. I'd hate to do that, but if you give me no choice, I will,"

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it, stuffing her hands in her pocket forcefully.

"Now go home and get some rest, we'll finish up here,"

The man entered the interrogation room as Severus slowly approached her. When he was near enough, he reached a hand out to touch her, but she flinched away.

"Don't touch me," she bit out, walking down the hallway.

Severus remained silent, but followed her anyway. She entered another hallway before entering a small wooden door. Severus entered shortly after. He found himself in a large room that had small walls periodically placed around. He realized a moment later that it was a training room for combat. Hermione had lined up nearly twelve training dummies before violently attacking them with shouts accompanying each spell. When they all were in a large pile, she repaired them before repeating the actions. On the last spell, she fell to her knees, breathing heavily. Severus didn't try to comfort her. He was well aware she was in a rage and that she needed to get everything out of her system before talking. Hermione slowly climbed to her feet, her breathing still slightly erratic. She repaired the dummies again, but put them away this time, swiping the tears from her face that had fallen because of her anger.

"Feel better?" he prompted.

"No," she snapped, but sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. "I can't believe I lost it like that,"

"It's understandable,"

"It's unprofessional,"

"You've had this building up for almost two years; it was bound to come out eventually,"

"Well I should have controlled myself…now I'm off the case. I've worked so hard for this. I just wanted a normal life, and I had a chance to personally make sure that happened, and I messed it up,"

"You caught him, that's all that matters. Things will get better now. They won't know how to carry on without him, no matter what he says, they need direction,"

"Do you think he was the one behind this?" she asked, still refusing to face him.

"One-hundred percent. No one else has a reason to try and carry on Voldemort's work. Most of the Death Eaters would have gone into hiding after the war, knowing that the Ministry would be hunting for them. There might be a few sporadic attacks, but nothing organized,"

Hermione turned to him then, regarding him thoughtfully.

"What were you doing there?"

"Kingsley asked me to help him work outside the law to help the Auror's out a little,"

"Why, so they could try to get you locked up again?" Hermione snapped.

"He said he would make sure no one was aware of what I was doing, and if I had gotten caught, he would have made sure that my record was clear,"

"I was wondering where he was getting his information from," she said absentmindedly.

Severus was silent as he watched her fix her hair and smooth out her clothes.

"You aren't going to be in trouble for this, are you?" she asked, looking at him for the first time since they had entered the room.

"No," he answered, though he wasn't sure what the repercussions of going to the warehouse tonight would be.

"Good," she said with a sigh. "Let's go, I'm tired and I don't want to be here anymore,"

Hermione left the room, Severus following close behind. He found her waiting in the hall for him as the door closed with a thud. Hermione slipped her fingers into his, sighing at the contact. They made their way through the halls eventually coming to the fireplaces. Severus watched as she disappeared in a burst of green. When he stumbled into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, Hermione was just brushing herself off. Severus shook out his robes, brushing ash from his sleeves. Hermione helped him for a moment, before looking up into his face.

"Thank you," she said quietly, pressing her hands to his chest. "For being there today. I don't know what we would have done without you,"

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Before Severus could react, she had pulled away with a sigh, walking towards the sink. Hermione began doing the dishes, quietly humming to herself. Severus stayed where he was for a moment, drinking her in. She sensed his eyes on her, and turned to look at him with a smile.

"What?" she asked, turning back to the sink.

"Nothing," he said quietly taking a seat but keeping his eyes on her.

Minutes slipped by as Hermione bustled around the kitchen, putting dishes away and making coffee for the rest of the group when they returned. She handed him a cup before sitting beside him with a sigh.

"Do you think it's really over now?" she asked, wrapping her fingers around her cup of tea.

"For the most part," he replied, lifting his cup to his mouth.

"Thank God," she said resting her chin on her palm.

The two were quiet for a long while after that. Severus didn't know what he was thinking or feeling. They had a legitimate chance to finally get on with their lives and leave everything that happened during the war behind them. Severus wasn't sure he knew what normal was anymore. It had been so long. He couldn't remember a time when he didn't have someone hunting him down or having to fight for his life. This was going to be a brand new thing for him. He knew he was going to need Hermione through this transition. He turned his head slightly to look at her. Severus noted that she appeared just as lost as he felt. He hadn't thought of how much she would have to adjust now. She now had no parents and had to face the idea that she was no longer on the run with her two best friends. Things would become delightfully boring for the two, and Severus couldn't wait for that moment.


	66. Birthday

**Hey! To make up for no post last week, I made sure to make this chapter extra long. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>Hermione was reassigned to another case, and came back to Grimmauld Place in a rage, throwing the folder of papers onto the table as she paced around. Severus remained silent as she yelled about being forced to be a paper pusher until something bigger came around.<p>

"I shouldn't have to be doing paper work for prisoners! That is not my job. I thought I had signed up to catch wizards and witches who broke the law and make sure they were locked up! Why am I stuck at my desk all day?!"

"You did attack a prisoner," he offered, seeing her turn with fire in her eyes.

"I didn't even hurt him!"

"Hermione, you had him on his knees with your hand around his throat,"

"And that is enough to give me _paperwork_?"

"Well they can't just put you back in the mix of things immediately, that would be ridiculous,"

"You're not helping,"

"If you were in their position, would you put you back in the field?"

Her silence answered his question.

"Maybe after a week they'll give you something else to do. They're probably wary of how you'll react once you're back in the field,"

"I don't care about anyone else we catch, Malfoy was the problem. He just...bothers me. I'm tired of that man interfering," she said taking a seat across from him.

Severus felt his nerves getting the better of him – he told himself that after the Death Eater ordeal was over, he would ask Hermione to live with him at Spinner's end. Technically, that moment had arrived.

"Are you happy here?" he blurted out.

She regarded him closely for a few moments, as if the reasoning behind his sudden question was writing on his face.

"Am I happy here? What do you mean?"

"Are you happy living with your friends,"

"Of course I am," she said eyeing him closely. "Why?" she pushed.

"Seeing as things seem to be coming to an end, I wanted to extend to you an offer to come and live with me," he said, glancing quickly at her face before looking into his cup.

She was silent, and Severus quickly began to backtrack.

"I can understand if you would like to stay here with your friends, you don't have to make a decision now if you think this is too fast-"

"I would love to move in with you,"

Severus quickly lifted his head to look at her and found her suppressing a grin, but ecstatic nonetheless.

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course,"

Severus couldn't help but smile at her. He was more than ready to give their relationship a real try – he wanted this to work more than anything in the world. He couldn't imagine his life without her.

"When would it be convenient for you?" Hermione asked.

"Whenever you're ready,"

"Is tonight alright?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yes," he replied instantly.

Before he could register her reaction she had jumped from the chair and darted from the kitchen. He heard her running up the stairs and bursting into her room, rushing around while slamming things. Severus sat still in the kitchen listening to the sounds coming from the floor above. He couldn't believe that she had agreed to move in with him, and was so eager that she was willing to move tonight. Before he could ponder much more Severus heard her footsteps on the stairs and a moment later she was bustling back into the kitchen, Crookshanks stuffed into his carrier and her beaded bag hanging from her shoulder. She placed both things onto the table before taking her seat with a smile. Severus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Yes, I didn't take much with me when I was on the run with Harry and Ron, and my parents cleared the house out, so this is all I have,"

Severus remembered that her bag had an Extension Charm on it. He watched as she looked at Crookshanks through the bars of his carrier, sticking her finger in to stroke his nose.

"Are you sure about this?" he questioned.

"I've never been more sure,"

Her smile was enough to set him at ease. The two remained at the table waiting for the others to return. Hermione checked the time every few minutes, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Relax," Severus murmured quietly, making himself another cup of coffee.

She huffed and propped her legs up on the seat of another chair.

"We've waited this long, we can wait another few minutes,"

"This is the first time we'll be able to really be together instead of _having_ to be together. Nearly two years I've waited for this moment, and I'm ready to start living again,"

Severus reached his hand across the table, and Hermione instantly dropped her feet to the ground and turned in her seat to place her hand in his. He studied their hands while running his thumb across her knuckles, pausing for a moment when he reached the silver band on her finger.

"Are you nervous about living together?" she asked.

He raised his eyes to hers for a moment before looking at their hands again.

"No, we've lived together before,"

"But we had to before; people were trying to kill me,"

"Do you think living under the same roof will be much different from the first time?" he asked.

"No, I suppose you're right,"

The time slipped by, but soon, the front door opened, prompting Hermione to jump up and head to the doorway.

"How did everything go?" she asked just as Harry entered the kitchen.

"Fine, most gave Malfoy up the first chance they got,"

"Good," Hermione said with relief.

"How are you doing?" he asked warily.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile.

"You did attack Malfoy in an interrogation room,"

"It was just a lapse in judgment, it won't happen again," she said brushing it off as Ron entered the kitchen.

As they became settled, Hermione began nervously rubbing her hands together.

"Harry, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. You helped me at a real low point in my life," she began.

"But?" he prompted, not looking the least bit bothered.

"Severus and I were talking when we came back here, and I've decided-well, we've decided-I'm going to be moving in with Severus,"

Harry looked up with her with a smile, a smile that looked just like his mother's.

"That's great,"

"Really? I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you after everything,"

"I knew it was going to happen eventually, Hermione. Plus, we're only a chimney away if anything happens,"

The next thing Severus remembered was standing at the door, holding the cat carrier and watching Hermione hug her friends goodbye. Weasley took an extra second to hold Hermione, making Severus aware of the fact that he was not happy with how things turned out. She was at his side a moment later, giving her friends a final wave before the two stepped out into the dark. Hermione took a deep breath, sighing as she released it.

"Ready?" he asked.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life,"

Severus smiled and Apparated to Spinner's End. They stood in the street, gazing up at his childhood home. This was it; he knew Hermione sensed the same thing by the way her hand tightened on his own. Silently Severus pulled her to the door, pushing it open before pulling her inside. The hall was dark as Severus shut the door and Hermione released Crookshanks from his carrier. The cat immediately took off, most likely finding something to hide under. Hermione entered the living room, starting a fire with her wand. Severus immediately went to pour himself a drink. The two were quiet, and Severus finished his drink before turning to her. She was standing behind the two chairs that flanked the fire, a beautiful smile gracing her features. He watched as she dropped her bag into a chair, turning to look at him.

"We did it, I can't believe it," she said brimming with joy.

A moment later she had her arms wrapped around his waist, head resting on his chest. Hermione rearranged the room before the two settled in, putting the couch in front of the fire and the chairs against the window. Severus couldn't recall how it happened, but hours later he was stretched out across the couch, Hermione's hair fanned out across his black clothing. One of his hands were tangled in her hair, the other wrapped around a glass of firewhiskey that she sometimes took from him to take a small sip. Their eyes were locked on the flickering flames that gently caressed the logs which emitted a small glow. Severus could feel her falling asleep on his chest, her breathing becoming deeper. He closed his eyes, focusing on the warmth of her body and the soft smell of vanilla coming from her hair. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

Hermione and Severus fell into a routine shortly after that. It was just as it was before when they lived together, except the darkness and heaviness was gone. They no longer had sinister things hanging over their heads, threatening them at every turn in the road. Severus noticed that more of her things seemed to be making an appearance in his room and in the bathroom, but he didn't mind in the least. Every time he saw something of hers, it reminded him that they had made it.

During the day, Severs spent his time in the basement, brewing and perfecting the potion he had made. Hermione was at work, trying to prove herself and slowly working her way back up the ladder. Severus knew she kept in touch with Harry who was still on Lucius Malfoy's case. Nearly every night she updated him on how the case and trial was going. Hermione was also focused on creating a new spell to remove cat hair from fabric. She began working on the spell when Severus threatened to shave the cat. Crookshanks had taken a liking to Severus, and if he was still for more than five minutes, Crookshanks would try and get Severus to hold him. Orange fur was very noticeable on black robes, and nearly impossible to get off. Regardless, Hermione would often catch Severus with the cat in his lap as he leaned over some papers on his desk.

The school year was nearly upon them, and for the first time in years, Severus was anxious to teach again. He wanted to get back to normalcy, even if that included hating the horrendous writing of the children he taught. Minerva assigned him to his usual chambers for the duration of the year, but he had yet to ask Hermione about her preference of living arrangements.

Hermione had taken to Spinner's End better than Severus could have ever hoped. For the first week, she furiously cleaned things, except for the cellar which Severus specifically said was off limits. Severus didn't know when she worked on the house, but for the first month or so, he would walk out of a room for a few hours and when he walked back in, the walls would be painted and everything completely spotless. He let her do what she wanted, as long as it wasn't something outrageous. Her tastes often reflected his, and Hermione tended to go for a more homey feeling rather than a luxurious one, which he was thankful for.

A week before he was to return to school, Hermione brought up Minerva's letter she had found when cleaning the kitchen. He had forgotten that he had left it on the counter.

"I've had the same chambers for nearly twenty years," he said casually, turning back to the newspaper he had spread out across the table.

"Are you going to live there again?"

He raised his eyes to hers, seeing a nervousness flash across her face.

"I was going to ask you where you'd rather live while I'm teaching,"

"But it's your job,"

"It makes little difference to me where we live, as long as you're comfortable,"

She lowered her eyes to the sheet of paper with emerald ink. He pulled his glasses off of his face and placed them down on the table, seeing that something was bothering her.

"Hermione, it's really not a big deal,"

"Oh, I know," she said giving him a shaky smile.

"What's bothering you?"

"I know that you'd like to live at the school, it would be easier for you. I would move there if you wanted. I can ask Minerva to keep the fireplace opened,"

"But?"

She raised her eyes briefly to his for a moment before looking away.

"It makes me uncomfortable,"

"What, living at the school?"

"No, living in those rooms again,"

The silence permeated the air. Her downcast gaze and suddenly hunched posture was enough to allow the pieces to fall into place in his head.

"We can stay here then, I don't mind using the fireplace every day. I'd rather be here anyway,"

"I'm sorry, it's just those rooms have to much-"

"History, I know," he said. "I understand,"

She offered him a relieved smile, bringing her watery eyes to his face. He stood, taking the letter from her hand and pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"I'll go write Minerva now,"

Once the school year started, Severus and Hermione left at the same time in the morning. Well, they were supposed to leave the same time every morning, but Hermione was usually running late. If the weather was nice, they would Apparate from the street to their respective jobs, and if not, they would take the floo network. On this particular day, it was pouring out, and Severus did not feel like getting wet before going to teach a bunch of dunderheads.

"Hermione, it's time to go," Severus called from the sitting room, looking at his time piece.

He could still hear his wife busting around the kitchen, talking to herself. A moment later she was rushing into the room, her bag tucked under her arm as she fought with her hair.

"Oh!" she cried out as she let her bag drop to the ground. "I promised Harry I'd bring in some files for him, God, I don't even know where they are," she groaned peering around the sitting room which was littered with her paperwork from the night before.

"Do you want me to…?"

"No, you can go ahead, I don't know how long I'm going to be," she muttered, pausing her furious search long enough to peck him on the lips. "I'll see you tonight. Try not to take too many housepoints away today,"

He smirked as he stepped into the fireplace, catching a glimpse of her darting from the room and heading towards the staircase. Throughout the day, Severus pondered the morning. Hermione had turned the sitting room into sort of a makeshift office, making it nearly impossible for her to find anything when she needed it. Her birthday was coming up, he remembered. He had been thinking about extending his own study to include a workspace for her…but her mess was something he didn't think he'd be able to look at all night. He decided that he would just magically add onto the house a room beside his own, where she could work and make all the mess she wanted to without him knowing about it. He formed most of the plans in his head, knowing he would have to wait for the last moment to actually do anything. Hermione would certainly notice the addition of a door in the hallway.

Severus had planned on spending a night with her, doing whatever she wanted for her birthday, but Harry had written him a letter saying they were going to have a party for Hermione at his house. Severus _hated_ parties. But it was for her. He informed Harry of his plans and how he would need time away from the party in order to complete them. Harry agreed to tell him when Hermione arrived at the house so Severus could sneak in and complete her gift.

On the morning of her birthday, she was awake before him, humming merrily around the kitchen.

"Happy birthday," he said as he watched her put a plate away.

"Thanks,"

The smile on her face was absolutely beautiful. She was beaming as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. For as long as he lived, he was sure he would never get used to feeling her lips against his. She wasted no time intensifying the action until they were both clutching desperately at one another. They had not yet made that last step as husband and wife, wanting to take things slow after everything that had happened, but both were aware of the tension building between them. Severus was in no rush, wanting Hermione to be the one to make the first move. He wouldn't do anything unless she was ready, but with every touch, they drew closer and closer to the edge of control.

She pulled away, cheek flushed and eyes flashing.

"So, what did you get me?" she asked.

Severus rolled his eyes as he pulled away from her to get himself a cup of coffee.

"Who said I got you anything?" he taunted.

"I've been trying to figure it out for weeks, and I haven't come up with anything,"

Severus smirked at her, letting the subject drop. The two got ready together, and for once, Hermione was on time. That morning was chilly, and the two bundled up against the cold before stepping out into the street.

"I forgot to tell you, I'm going to be late tonight," he said as Hermione was telling him last minute instructions for the party, mostly reminding him of the time because he constantly became so engrossed in his work he didn't check a clock for hours on end.

"You're going to be late?" she asked, her face falling.

"I have some important things that need to be done beforehand, but I will get there, I promise,"

"All right," she said with a sigh, but he could tell she was still unhappy.

"I love you," he said as Hermione prepared to Apparate.

Even though he said he would be late to her birthday party wasn't enough to keep the smile off of her face as he said those three words to her. Rarely did Severus say them; she knew how he felt about her, and she knew how difficult it was for him to express his feelings, but the times he did say them made her beam at him.

"I love you too," she said quietly, Apparating with a smile on her face.

The day seemed to drag for Severus. He impatiently checked his timepiece between classes, willing the hours to go by faster. The day came to a close, and Severus knew Hermione would be home, getting ready. He paced his office, looking for Harry's face in the fire. He promised to contact him the moment she arrived. He didn't want to miss this for her sake; she seemed so put out that he was going to be late. The sudden burst of light behind him made him whirl around.

"Profes-er- Severus?"

"Is she there?" Severus asked, peering into the fire.

"Yeah, she just got here, Molly's talking to her in the hallway,"

"I'll be there in an hour," he replied, grabbing his traveling cloak.

Stepping into the fire, Severus arrived in his sitting room, not bothering to clean up the mess. Pulling out his wand, he instantly set to work, trying to rush the process; he didn't want to spend a moment away from her that he didn't need to. The wood was creaking as he expanded the house to accommodate the extra room, but Severus didn't pause. Once the room was formed, bookcases were added. Tons of bookcases were added. Severus knew she had a stack of books beside their bed, and now she would finally have a place to put them all. Next, a fireplace was added. The longest part was making the fireplace floo-network compatible. It was skill Severus had picked up as a Death Eater, in case he needed to make a quick escape. Floo networks were a tricky business to begin with, and only trained professionals knew how to properly construct one.

Once that was over, Severus summoned all of her books to fill the shelves, and as they paraded through the doorway, he set to adding a window behind the desk (a replication of his own). Crookshanks spent his time running through Severus' legs trying to catch the books as they neatly placed themselves in alphabetical order. As he replicated the couch in his office, he sent the copy into Hermione's study while entering the sitting room. With a sweep of his wand, all of the papers lifted into the air, sorted themselves, and then whizzed into the office. He could hear the drawers opening and closing as the papers found their new home.

Severus stood in the doorway, admiring his work. There was a couch to his immediate left, against the wall, beside the door. The next wall held the fireplace, bookshelves surrounding it. The far wall held the large widow (he noticed how she often stared out of the siting room window), and the wall to his right was solid bookcases. For a final touch, he replicated her favorite chair in the sitting room twice and placed them in front of the fireplace. With a sigh, Severus shut the door, made a key, and locked it with a click. He placed the key in a small red box before slipping the box into his pocket.

As he headed outside to Apparate, he checked his timepiece. Just under an hour. Perfect. In a flash he found himself on the steps of Grimmauld Place. He slipped in quietly, hearing a large group of people singing to Hermione. He was happy he had missed this part. Severus Snape did not sing, no matter the occasion. He made his way down the hall, just as the song ended. Standing in the doorway, he just managed to catch her leaning down and blowing out the candles on an enormous cake, littered with pink flowers and designs. As she straightened up, her eyes fell on him and she smiled. Molly instantly took charge over the cake, allowing Hermione a moment to slip away. She instantly sought him out, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm so glad you made it," she whispered against his ear.

"I told you I'd be here," he responded, pressing his lips against her neck.

When they pulled apart, Severus reached into his robes, pulling out the red box.

"Happy birthday," he said, seeing her eyes light up.

As she opened the box, Severus took a moment to study her. She had pulled her hair completely up, tying it in a sophisticated manner; more professional than how she normally did her hair for work. She was wearing a silver chain with a single pearl on it. She wore a blue dress that looked just like the dress she wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding. He noticed that she wore flats, knowing she hated heels unless it was for a very special occasion.

Severus watched as she picked the key out of the box and held it up to examine it.

"What does it go to?" she asked peering up at him.

"You'll find out when we go home," he said with a smirk as she pouted slightly.

"You're such a tease," she murmured, placing the key back in the box and replacing the lid.

"You look beautiful," he responded just low enough so she could hear him.

"Thank you," she replied smoothing out her dress. "It's the same dress I wore to Bill's wedding; I just altered the color,"

Before he could respond, they were ushering her to the table to open gifts. Severus stayed in the background of things, but kept his eyes locked on her for the remainder of the night. She laughed with her friends as everyone caught up with each other – they all had been too busy to see each other for a few weeks. Teddy was obsessed with Hermione; every time his parents tried to take him away, he screeched until he was back in Hermione's arms. She seemed more than happy to hold the boy on her lap throughout the night, and Severus felt a pang in his chest as he realized just how beautiful she looked holding a child. The thought of starting a family had never even crossed his mind. One step at a time, he reminded himself. They hadn't even explored the physical aspects of their relationship yet, they certainly didn't need to be discussing children.

"She's very happy, you know," Remus said leaning on the wall beside him.

"I know," Severus replied, turning his eyes back to Hermione who was reading a card from George, which resulted in her screeching at him how inappropriate it was, but laughing none the less.

Severus knew that Remus was being kind to him because he had saved his life, and his wife's life, but because Hermione and he were very good friends. Severus stopped his thoughts, instead focusing on the moment. He watched as Hermione's hand reached out to pull the little red box closer to herself. She was anxious to get home; he could read it in her face.

Severus made small talk with Remus for most of the night, neither too fond of large gatherings. As the party began to die down, Hermione approached him, clutching the red box.

"Can we go home now?" she pleaded, biting her lip as she waited for an answer.

"If you're ready, we can go,"

In a flash she was saying goodbye to people, hugging them and thanking them while collecting her things. As she was saying goodbye, Tonks was smart enough to condense all of her things into one small bag that was nearly weightless. Molly insisted on giving Hermione cake, and after a few minutes of rejecting the offer, Hermione finally gave in, watching Molly expertly pack nearly a quarter of the cake for the two of them. Hermione held the bag and small box in one hand, and took Severus' as they left the house. He could see the excitement written all over her face as she gazed up at him. He smiled before Apparating them home. His heart was pounding as he followed her into the house. As he shut the door, she already had the key in her hand, looking at him expectantly.

"So what does this go to?"

He took her hand, pulling her down the hallway.

"Is that…is that door new?" she asked, looking up and down the hallway, trying to see if she somehow miscalculated.

"I told you that I had things to do tonight, and I would be late. This is what I was doing. Happy birthday,"

Hermione's eyes flashed from the door to his face before settling back on the door. Severus remained behind as she stepped forward, sliding the key into the lock, and turning it until a click echoed through the hallway. She pushed the door open, and Severus immediately knew she liked it as she gasped and threw her hands over mouth. He wanted her to go in, so stepping forward he pressed his hand to the small of her back, giving her a gentle push into the room.

"Severus…I…"

"You needed your own space to work, and a sitting room isn't a suitable place to do so. That and you were more unorganized than a first year's essay,"

"You built me a room," she stated, gazing around. "You built me a room for my birthday,"

"Do you like it?" he asked as she remained quiet for a long period of time.

"Like it? I love it, it's beyond perfect,"

She pulled him into her arms, pressing her lips eagerly against his, communicating just how much she did love that room. Before they could get carried away, Severus pulled away, showing her everything in the room and where everything was located. He never knew it was possible for a person to smile so much. After nearly an hour, the two made their way to the kitchen, digging into the cake Molly had given them.


	67. A Boring Christmas Eve

**So sorry I've fallen behind again, but the new semester has started already :( My break was super short. Well, enjoy this anyway and leave your thoughts!**

* * *

><p>Around the beginning of December, Severus and Hermione were invited to an award ceremony for services performed during the war. Severus immediately protested against going.<p>

"This is a major honor, we have to go," Hermione said as Severus walked to his study and sat at his desk.

"I am not going to have a crowd of people stare at me,"

"You don't even have to go on stage; they're just going to read your name out,"

"Then why do I have to go? All they're going to be there for is to try and get a picture of the two of us,"

"We can't hide from the public forever, and this is as good a time as any to go into public as a couple. We haven't done anything together in public yet, at least not something this major,"

"I am not going to put on a show for those people,"

"Then can you go for me?"

Severus knew he was lost at that point. The sweetness in the tone of her question did him in.

"Fine, but I'm not getting dressed up,"

"Thank you!" she cried, jumping up and darting around the desk to kiss him on the cheek.

For Severus, that day came sooner than he wanted it to. His house was decorated to the brim with Christmas lights and knickknacks, but Hermione was proud of them, so he was happy. He spent most of Christmas Eve with Hermione, enjoying her company and exchanging gifts. They both had opted for books again, just like last Christmas. They were on the couch together; she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest as his arms were wrapped around her. His black clothing contrasted dramatically with her red sweater, he noticed, as she picked some red fuzz from his sleeve.

"I'm so happy that we're having a boring Christmas Eve," she said quietly as Crookshanks attacked an ornament on the tree.

"I didn't realize you were so bored," he replied with a smile.

"Last year we were in the middle of a war, fighting for our lives while keeping our relationship a secret,"

"You left out the part where I took you to a graveyard and left you there with your friends,"

She laughed in his arms.

"You had to; I can't hold that over your head,"

"Do we have to go tonight?" he asked, brushing his lips across her neck.

"Yes, we do, so I suggest you stop drinking so much,"

"I haven't had that much," he responded, looking over at the almost empty bottle of firewhiskey.

"You're not as slick as you used to be,"

He was going to respond, but Minerva's Patronus suddenly bounded into the living room.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you," the cat spoke. "But if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please come to the school? I need help controlling these imbeciles trying to set up, I could use you,"

The cat disappeared, and Severus groaned, letting his head fall back. Hermione pried herself from his arms, much to his dislike.

"Go and help her, I have to get ready anyway," Hermione said, scooping Crookshanks up to save the tree.

Severus heaved himself off of the couch, kissed Hermione with a sigh, before stepping into the fireplace. When he entered the Great Hall, he walked into pure chaos. Minerva was running around, shouting at people who were setting up decorations, and pulling Severus into the process. He had wished more than anything that he had stood his ground against Hermione; this was going to be a frivolous affair that Severus would undoubtedly hate. As he leaned against the wall watched people rush about, he couldn't help but think about his wife, sitting home, and how he wished he was back on the couch with her, the room lit with nothing but the firelight.

The long tables in the Great Hall were gone, replaced by dozens of smaller and round tables. The sky was full of stars, and the room was dim. The decorations were all either dark blue or silver. Rolling his eyes, Severus pushed off of the wall and exited the room, heading down to his private labs. He didn't want to brew anything, just read for a few moments before the terrible event started. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the clock tolled loudly, signaling that it was eight o' clock. Sighing deeply, he closed his book and began the trek back up the stairs where he could hear many voices intermingling. Severus didn't expect the sight he was met with when he reached the top of the stairs.

Hermione was standing a small distance from the Great Hall doors in a black floor length gown with her hair piled high on top of her head. Severus stood for a moment, watching her nervously fiddle with her bracelet as she watched a steady stream of people enter the room. Feeling severely underdressed, Severus descended the stairs. Hermione caught sight of him and met him at the bottom.

"Hi," she greeted quietly, nervously smoothing her gown.

He took her hands, and she raised her eyes to his.

"You look amazing, stop fussing over yourself,"

She looked away from him, with a smile on her lips and red cheeks.

"Well," he sighed, tucking her arm into his. "Let's get this over with,"

Within minutes they were seated at a table with Harry and the Weasleys. Hermione made small talk, while Severus sat back with his arms crossed over his chest. He studied the room closely, watching each person enjoying themselves. Severus wished he was back home.

Soon, a man from the Ministry was in the front of the room speaking about the war. Severus watched Hermione shift uncomfortably in her chair as her eyes flitted around the room. The past should be left in the past, as far as he was concerned, and many people had horrifying memories of that day that this man was dragging back up to the surface of their minds. By the end of his speech, most were crying, the others looking grim. Hermione held her napkin tightly in her hands and her face had lost all color. Severus had forced himself not to listen, silently reciting potion ingredients to himself. As the man started calling out names for their good deeds in the war, Severus took Hermione's hand, forcing her to release the napkin.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, peering into her face.

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile onto her face and giving his hand a small squeeze.

The names went on and on, and when Severus' name came up, there was gasping among the clapping, not that Severus was surprised. Hermione placed her free hand over his, giving him a smile while Arthur patted him on the back. The meal dragged on, and soon the tables were cleared away so people could dance and socialize. Severus stayed mostly in the darker areas of the room, while people insisted on talking to Hermione throughout the night. Severus let her have her moment; she deserved it after everything she had been through the past two years. Eventually, she managed to break away from the crowd to find him leaning against the wall.

"Why isn't anyone talking to you? You did just as much as the rest of us," she grumbled as she fixed her hair.

"Because everyone thinks I'm a murderer," he replied casually.

"Oh, stop, they do not all think that,"

Severus pulled her into his arms, and slowly began moving her in time to the music. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck with a sigh.

"Thank you for coming tonight, even if this was absolutely terrible," she murmured to him.

He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

"You wanted me to be here,"

"Thank you for coming anyway,"

"You're welcome,"

The night dragged on, and eventually, people began to go home. Some people eventually did talk to Severus, and he awkwardly accepted their thanks before they darted away. As the ceremony and dinner was finally drawing to a close, Hermione slipped her shoes off, sighing at the relief.

"Ready to go home?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

"More than ready," Hermione sighed.

The two stood and headed to the doors just as Minerva was heading in.

"Severus, I don't mean to be such a nuisance, but could you come to my office for a moment?"

Severus didn't want to go, but Hermione pulled her hand from his with a smile.

"It's fine," she said seeing the look on his face. "I'll wait for you here,"

Severus followed Minerva up the stairs and to her office. He handled meaningless school affairs with her about starting a defense club which he was to be the head of. Once he was allowed to go, Severus found himself rushing down the staircase, anxious to be back home with his wife. Entering the Great Hall, he found the Christmas decorations and tables replaced back to their proper places. He found Hermione sitting on top of one of the tables, legs crossed with her arms resting on her knees. She had obviously changed her clothes, wearing jeans and a black sweater. He approached her, seeing her gazing at the large tree behind the staff table.

"I had forgotten how beautiful the castle is at Christmas time," she said quietly, climbing from atop the table to take a seat at the end of the bench.

Severus sat across from her, seeing her smile at him in the dark. They sat there for a long while in silence before Hermione stood, signaling that she was ready to go. Just as Severus reached her side, the clock suddenly chimed, causing Hermione to look up.

"What time is it?" she asked.

Severus pulled out his time piece and quickly glanced at the time.

"Midnight," he answered, tucking it back into his robes.

When he looked into her face, he saw her smiling gently at him happiness filling her eyes, and he was sure he had never seen a more blissful woman. Before he could ask her what she was smiling about, she spoke.

"Happy Anniversary," she whispered.

With the chaos of the night, Severus forgot that Christmas was the next day.

"Happy Anniversary," he managed to say as she pulled him down to kiss him.

Severus didn't know how long they stood in the Great Hall wrapped in one another's arms, but it was a moment he was sure he would never forget. He pulled away from her and reached into his travelling cloak. Hermione was about to speak when he procured a box.

"I hope you didn't build me another room because I can tell you right now, I don't need one," she said with a smile.

"No, it's not a room," he smiled, while handing her the box.

Hermione smirked at him as she opened the box. Lowering her eyes, her smirk disappeared, replaced with a look of shock.

"Severus," she said quietly, not drawing her eyes away.

"I thought it was about time you had a real ring,"

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Severus took the box from her hands and pulled the ring out, taking her hand in his. The ring was a simple silver band with a single diamond – just large enough to be noticed, but not large enough to not be overbearing. He gently slipped the ring onto her finger, until it rested snuggly against the silver band Dumbledore had given her as a ring. For a moment, the two simply starred at the ring resting on her finger. Hermione flexed her finger, twisting her hand this way and that allowing the lights from the tree to strike the diamond.

"Severus, it's perfect,"

Her arms were around his neck a moment later and before he could embrace her for a satisfying amount of time, she pulled completely away from her.

"I got you something too," she said, appearing slightly nervous. "Don't be upset, but I took your notes for that potion you invented,"

She grabbed her bag and began digging through the contents. Severus knew she had cast an Undetectable Extension Charm seeing as she managed to stuff her entire dress into the bag.

"Ah," she said, pulling out her hand with a piece of paper.

Severus took the paper from her hands, unfolding it.

"It's a patent, I submitted the paperwork about a month ago, and it finally went through,"

"How did you get the paperwork through with my name?" he asked.

"Being a war heroine who works for the Ministry does have its perks," she said smirking at him. "Oh, and part two of your gift,"

Severus was handed another sheet of paper. His eyes widened.

"I have a meeting with the health department?"

"The president of the health department, to be exact. If he likes what he sees, your potion is going to be on the market very soon,"

In a flash he pulled her to his body, sighing deeply into her hair.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome," she said with a smile in her voice.

After safely tucking the papers into his robes, Severus took Hermione's hand, leading her towards the fireplace.

"Let's go home,"

She smiled in response before stepping into the fireplace.

Despite drinking a lot the night before, Severus was still awake as Hermione breathed softly beside him, a single candle lit on his side of the bed. Lost in his own thoughts, he barely registered the movement beside him. Hermione had become restless, and only when she began to moan in her sleep did Severus turn to look at her. Her body was rigid and her face warped with fear.

"Hermione," Severus said quietly.

He watched her eyes flashing wildly behind her eyelids as her breath was coming out in gasps. Hermione's hands tightened on the sheets as Severus sat up.

"Hermione," he said louder, grabbing her shoulders to wake her.

"No!" she cried out, fighting against his hands and shoving against his chest.

A moment later, her eyes snapped opened. Severus hadn't seen that much terror in her eyes since the war. He didn't have words for her, and instead lifted her from the bed and into his arms. She clung to him tightly, taking deep breaths. It wasn't until an hour later, in the dark, that she spoke.

"I'm fine, don't worry," she insisted without him asking.

"Hermione, this has been the worst one yet," he replied.

The two of them periodically had had dreams of the war, some worse than usual. Hermione tended to have more than he did, and he usually held her until she fell asleep.

"That man tonight, at dinner, talking about the war…I couldn't help but think about _her._ It's like I was reliving that day in Malfoy Manor, I could still feel her on top of me with the knife on my skin," she whispered.

Severus pulled her closer to his body. He had once asked her if he could look at her memories after she awoke from a nightmare, but she refused. Severus could see how she struggled with the memories and wished he could help bear the burden. When Severus usually had nightmares, they were usually about losing Hermione during the war. When he awoke, she was usually already awake. They would say no words, but Severus would not be able to sleep again unless his arms were wrapped tightly around her, ensuring the fact that she was really there with him.


	68. Change

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, but I've been switching my schedule around like crazy the past two weeks, and things have been a little chaotic. Well, I hope you enjoy this, and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

><p>It was in late January when Hermione began to feel off. She knew there was a stomach bug going around the office, and she was afraid she had caught it. She didn't say anything to Severus, about it, but the morning she woke up and had to run to the bathroom gave her away.<p>

"I feel fine," she protested after she had brushed her teeth and pulled on her robe.

Severus studied her for a while, with obvious disapproval. She promised to make an appointment at St. Mungo's as Severus ate breakfast. Hermione retook her seat, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. A part of her knew what was going on, and she was sure that a stomach bug wasn't the problem here.

"Are you sure you're feeling well? You don't have any color in your cheeks," he said over the top of the paper.

"Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him, standing and moving to the sink to keep herself busy.

Severus left for work, but Hermione could barely muster enough energy to give him a proper goodbye. He studied her with a critical eye for a few moments before closing the door softly behind him. Hermione paced around the house, her hands clammy and her stomach in knots. She was in and out of the shower, dressed, and on her way to St. Mungo's within the hour. Her hands played nervously with her beaded bag, waiting for her name to be called.

" ? We're ready for you now," a witch called.

Hermione went through the usual process before meeting the doctor. She felt childish, sitting up on the bed on the crinkling paper. The room smelled sterile and everything was so plain. Finally, the doctor entered. They went through the usual questions, Hermione's nerves growing and growing until she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"I think I might be pregnant," she blurted out.

"I was just coming to that," the man replied, looking up at her.

She took the test, pacing the small room while waiting for the results. The doctor entered a few moments later, and the smile on his face was enough for her. Hermione found herself sitting on the couch an hour later, contemplating how she was going to tell Severus that she was pregnant, more worried about his reaction than anything else. Hermione occupied her time by making necessary appointments and reading over the materials the doctor had given her. She spent moments curled up and crying, feeling as if her life had suddenly been turned upside-down.

She could still remember the first time they had explored the more physical aspects of their relationship. It was a few days after her birthday, but Hermione remembered every moment – his legs against hers, his hands dancing over her skin, the weight of his body, and his hot and heavy breath against her neck. Most of all, she remembered how gentle and patient he had been with her when she blurted out that she was scared. The two had never even thought about protection. She couldn't say she was surprised that this had happened, after the first time the two had barely managed to keep their hands to themselves.

Hermione waited anxiously as she watched the time draw nearer. She was gazing into the fire when she heard the door handle turn. Usually, she would meet him at the door when she was home before him, but today, she could barely breathe, let alone get her limbs to function properly.

"Hermione?" his voice called as she listened to him remove his travelling cloak.

"In here," Hermione replied breathlessly.

He entered the room and was beside her in a moment, pressing his lips to her temple.

"What's wrong?" he asked when she didn't move a muscle.

"I went to the doctors today," she said in nothing more than a soft murmur.

"And?"

She patted the couch, telling him quietly to sit down. He lowered himself to the complete opposite side of the couch, and Hermione was thankful for that.

"Tell me what happened," he stated.

"Severus…I'm….I'm pregnant,"

The silence in the room was roaring in Hermione's ears. She couldn't bring herself to look at his reaction, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"I know we haven't talked about whether or not we wanted to start a family, and I can understand if…if you don't want anything to do with this, I'm not going to force your hand,"

Still, he was silent, and Hermione stood.

"The doctor said that because it's my first and because of the trauma of the war, I might lose the baby anyway. I'll go and stay with Harry for a little so you can…decide what you want,'

Hermione wanted to be alone now, and turned to leave.

"Hermione," she froze. "Sit down," he said quietly.

She retook her seat, keeping her hair in front of her face in an attempt to hide her emotions from him. Hermione wanted more than anything for Severus to love their child, if she managed to reach full term. She didn't know what she would do if he stated that he never wanted anything to do with the baby and that being a father was not something he signed up for.

"Tell me everything that happened and everything the doctor said to you,"

So, wrapping her arms around her torso, Hermione told him everything that the doctor that said to her. She fought the entire time to keep her voice strong, but it continued to crack as her nerves got the better of her. Hermione made sure to restate the offer of staying with Harry until he was sure of what he wanted. He was silent for a long moment before speaking.

"There is no need for you to stay with Potter," Severus said.

Hermione clasped her hands together in her lap, noticing how cold her hands suddenly were. Images of terrible things flashed through her mind, mainly of Severus treating her coldly and tossing her from his house. She didn't register his motions as he moved to her side, placing a single one of his hands over hers.

"I'm not going to abandon you," he stated. "I certainly wasn't planning on ever having children,"

Hermione waited with baited breath, knowing he wasn't done talking yet.

"I don't have any idea how to raise a kid…but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try, for your sake,"

For the first time since he entered the room, Hermione raised her anxious eyes to his face.

"Really?" she asked, attempting to suppress her emotions.

She saw his face was pale and his features drawn, but behind the fear in his eyes, she saw conviction.

"Of course," he said, giving her a small smile.

Hermione flung herself onto him, digging her fingers into his robes.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted as his arms wrapped around her.

"Me too, but we'll get through it," he said quietly.

Hermione sighed deeply and closed her eyes in relief.

Severus was very careful around Hermione from then on out. He wouldn't allow her into the cellar in case she came into contact with something that could potentially put her pregnancy in danger. She still went to work, but informed her boss that she could no longer go on any missions, and therefore was assigned to paperwork. Severus made Hermione use the floo network, convinced that it would take less of a toll than Apparating, but Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Severus, it doesn't matter how I travel," she protested again as she made dinner.

"I would prefer if you used the floo network," he insisted.

He watched Hermione much like a hawk, making sure she never did anything that was too straining, and if he caught her doing anything, he immediately stopped her and chastised her for her lack of attention to her pregnancy.

The two kept the pregnancy a secret from their friends, unsure if Hermione's body would fully accept the baby. Her morning sickness came and went, but Severus made sure he was there every step of the way. Hermione made a point of buying books when they were out one day on pregnancy, and spent the rest of the day reading book upon book about what becoming a mother would entail. Severus stood in the doorway to the living room telling her it was time for bed, but she barely heard him.

"Do you see all of this?" she asked, holding a book up. "Do you see how many things could go wrong in the course of nine months?"

Severus took the book from her hand, closing it softly and placing it gently on the table. Hermione's head was filled with the horrific facts of the terrible things that could happen at the various stages of a pregnancy.

"Severus, what if something happens?" she asked as he held her hand to lead her up the stairs.

"Nothing is going to happen," he said into the darkness.

"But what if something does?" she pushed.

"If something does, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it,"

In the second month of her pregnancy, Hermione and Severus were invited to Harry and Ginny's wedding. Hermione bought a dark purple dress that was loose enough to hide her stomach.

"You aren't even showing yet," Severus said as he was propped up in bed, flipping through a book with his glasses propped up on the end of his nose.

"Yes I am, I could barely button my pants the other day," she replied, turning different ways in the mirror to make sure the fabric didn't cling to her.

Severus didn't particularly want to go; seeing two of his students marry each other was not high on the list of things that Severus wanted to do, but Hermione stated that she was going to go with or without him, insisting that she was not going to miss her best friend's wedding just because he didn't like such occasions.

Hermione found herself seated in the third row on the Weasley's lawn, with Severus seated beside her, his fingers intertwined with hers. She brushed a few tears from her eyes as Harry and Ginny exchanged vows, giving Severus' hand and extra squeeze as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Do you ever wish you had this?" Severus asked as they stood outside the tent, listening to the laughter and music from inside.

"What? A wedding?"

"Yes,"

"No, I think the way we did things was fitting for us. I couldn't see us having a wedding like this," she said with a smile, leaning up to press her lips against his.

"Would you want one?"

"No, I'm more than happy with how things went and I wouldn't want it any other way,"

As more time passed, the doctor became more confident in the stability of Hermione's pregnancy. Hermione was happy, and became even happier when she found Severus reading one of the books that she had picked up during the early months of her pregnancy. He was taking his duties as father-to-be extremely serious, afraid that he was going to be a disaster once the baby came.

"What if we can't do this?" he asked one night in the dark, like he always did at least once a week.

"We're going to be fine, we'll wing it," she said, keeping both of her hands over her stomach.

"Wing it? We're having a baby, and you just want to wing it?"

"I don't think that a book can prepare you for something like this, I think each experience is different,"

After four months, Hermione was officially starting to show. The two made the mutual decision to tell their friends. Hermione took the brunt of the excitement as she stood in the doorway of Grimmauld Place at a get-together with everyone present. Severus stayed behind as everyone dragged her into the room, hugging her and touching her stomach.

"I'm not showing that much yet," she explained, positively glowing.

Hermione's eyes flitted to Severus who stood awkwardly against the wall, knowing that everyone was most likely judging him for taking advantage of her, that and the fact that he was twice her age. Remus shook his hand, congratulating him and clapping him on the shoulder.

Though Hermione left the two men alone, she knew Severus was hanging onto every word Remus spoke about becoming a father. He was very unsure of himself and how he would take to being a father. Hermione didn't know the whole history of Severus' childhood, but she gathered enough to know that his father had been more of a negative influence on him than a positive one, and Hermione knew that he feared the idea of turning into a monster. She was more confident in him than she was in herself. She was young; she was more than aware of that. She would have to put her career on hold and become a stay at home mother. Severus was so mature and had so much more experience under his belt. What if she didn't take to motherhood? What if she couldn't be everything she needed to be for her child?

People bustled around her, congratulating her and smiling, and Hermione did her best to smother her doubts. The women were seated around Hermione, asking her questions about how she was feeling and if she was craving anything yet. She did her best to answer them, becoming uncomfortable with all of the attention. Ron was seated at the end of the table, listening to everything, but clearly upset, and Hermione made a point of avoiding his eyes.

The men had conversations around Severus, but Hermione knew that he was barely talking; he was intensely private about the baby. When the two first started discussing the idea of telling people that she was pregnant, Severus didn't want to, telling her that he didn't want people interfering in a very private part of their lives, so the fact he was barely speaking to others did not surprise her.

They stayed much longer than Severus wanted to, but Hermione couldn't help but bask in the joy of finally being able to tell her friends that she was going to have a baby. The sense of relief was wonderful for her. Once Molly had gotten them to eat, Hermione finally stated that they should be going home being that she was exhausted. Severus was more than happy to finally go home.

As the months passed, Hermione became bigger and bigger, but tried to keep her complaints to herself. Severus became more accustomed to the idea that they were to be parents, spending large amounts of time feeling the baby kick when he spoke to Hermione. Most of the doctor's appointments Hermione attended without Severus, seeing as he was at work, but she made sure to relay every detail of the appointment, reassuring him that they baby was healthy and on track. It was at one of these appointments that she found out she was having a baby girl, and immediately told Severus the moment he arrived home. She knew he was more worried about the health of the baby than the sex.


	69. Olivia

**So, I've been getting a lot of backlash over the last chapter, so a few things need to be cleared up first:**

_1) I don't want the story climax just to be about them finally sleeping together, that's why so little emphasis and detail was given. It shows that they are both comfortable with each other to not put such a heavy weight on the physical aspects of their relationship._

_2) Use your own imagination for the sex scene – everyone is going to have their own idea of how it should go down, and that's why I didn't put any details in. You imagine it how you would like it to happen, so everyone's happy._

_As for the pregnancy:_

_1) In some cases, morning sickness can hit women in the first 1-2 weeks of pregnancy because of the hormonal buildup – Hermione doesn't discover she's pregnant until at least her 4th week._

_2) Second month, women can experience bloating, which is why Hermione complained about her pants and was trying on her dress for Harry and Ginny's wedding._

_3) She starts to show at four months, typical time where women start to show and the baby begins to move_

_4) They conceive around Christmas, Hermione finds out at the end of January, which would mean the baby would be born around September._

I did my research before I wrote that chapter. Also, this story isn't about how precise the facts are. It's about two fictional characters having a kid, if the facts are slightly skewed, it's not a big deal.

_*****The reason why the story is going quickly now is because I'm only focusing on key moments in their lives, rather than drawing everything out. **_

_**********There are only FOUR more chapters left._************_**_

* * *

><p>On her ninth month, Severus was more overbearing than usual, afraid that she was going to go into labor at any moment. Nearly every time she moved he was watching her, waiting.<p>

"Severus, I'm not going to pop the second I move a muscle, we still have at least two weeks before my due date,"

Nearly every time she told him to stop worrying, he came back with a fact he had read in some book, but Hermione only smiled at him, impressed with how dedicated he was. Hermione was still working in her last month, even though her boss insisted she take off.

"I'm not going to sit around waiting for this baby to come, I want to stay busy," she would reply each time.

On one particular morning, she felt different. As she went to get ready in the bathroom, she felt lighter than she had in months, followed by a few cramps. She kept this to herself, knowing that it was common for women to have false labors. Hermione went through her usual morning routine, making Severus breakfast as he sat flipping through the Daily Prophet quickly, searching for his favorite sections.

"You're unusually quiet," Severus mentioned after nearly ten minutes of silence.

"I'm just tired," she said, giving him a smile.

She was sure he could see straight through her, but she hummed quietly, distracting herself from the ache in her body. Hermione had both her hands resting on her stomach as she walked with Severus to the front door.

"You know how to reach me if something happens," he said, making a point to look into her eyes.

"I promise I'll call you the second something changes," she reassured him.

He pressed his lips against hers for a moment, touched her stomach, and left the house a moment later. Hermione's smile immediately fell from her face as she made her way up the stairs to find the pregnancy books Severus kept on his side of the bed. Hermione reassured herself that she was not going into labor and got ready for the day. Soon, she found herself sitting at her desk, finishing up some paperwork. Hermione had acquired an extra chair to prop her feet up on to help relieve the swelling in her ankles, and was currently resting her aching feet. Closing the folder on the finished file, Hermione lowered her feet to the ground and braced her hands against the desk to lift herself up. Once she was securely on her feet, she grabbed the file and went to make her way to Harry's cubicle.

"Harry-oh!"

Hermione froze, feeling a sudden wetness running down her legs. Harry entered a moment later, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Hermione?" he asked, concerned with her pale face.

"Harry, we have to go, it's time,"

Harry didn't' miss a beat as he took her arm, telling everyone that Hermione was going into labor.

"I have to call Severus," she said gazing down at her ring, but unable to turn it as Harry had one of her hands and she was holding a bag in the other.

"We'll call him the second we're at the hospital," Harry said.

A moment later, they were at the fireplace, pushing others out of the way. Hermione's contractions made her slower than usual, but she tried her best to keep up. Soon, they were at St. Mungo's and as Harry helped check her in, Hermione turned her silver band twice on her finger. Within seconds Severus appeared, his eyes wide and his features panicked.

"Is it time?" he asked anxiously, moving to her immediately.

"It's time," she said, giving him a shaky smile.

The nurse immediately moved her into a room, forcing her to change out of her clothing and into a hideous hospital gown. For Hermione, the waiting was the worst. The contractions were becoming longer and more painful, and she did her best to hide the pain from Severus. He spent the time pacing the room, not knowing what else to do.

"I have a book in my bag, you could read that," Hermione offered to him.

"Like I could focus on a book right now," he grunted, taking a seat beside her in a plastic chair.

What seemed like days later, the doctor came in telling her it was time. Severus because paler, if that was even possible, and Hermione felt the fear she had been suppressing for months take over her body. As they moved her to the delivery room, Hermione barely registered the action. Everyone was rushing around, calling to one another, and she suddenly couldn't find Severus in the rush.

"If you want, we can have your husband wait outside," a nurse offered kindly, as Severus stood in the room.

"No, I want you to stay, please," she pleaded with him, with wide eyes, reaching a hand out for his in a desperate manner.

A moment later his warm fingers were around hers, as his other hand gently stroked her hair. She grabbed onto him with everything she had left in her body, unsure if she would even be able to make it out alive. The doctor told her to push, and push, and push again, and Hermione was covered in sweat after a few minutes.

"I can't," she finally gasped out, tears leaking from her eyes. "I can't do this anymore,"

"You're almost there, just a little more," Severus whispered softly to her, kissing her hand lightly.

A few moments later, a wail filled the room as the nurses cheered, and Hermione fell back against the bed, breathing heavily. She could hear Severus whispering words to her, and she could feel his lips on her face, but she barely had enough strength to open her eyes. When she did open her eyes, she was being handed a pink bundle.

"Oh my God," she sighed, the tears flowing freely down her face now. "She's beautiful, Severus,"

Hermione wanted to see her husband's face as he laid eyes on their daughter for the first time, but she couldn't break her gaze from the dark eyes that gazed curiously back at her.

"Hey," she whispered softly.

After a few moments, Hermione felt Severus' hand on her shoulder, and she lifted her eyes to his face. Throughout the course of their marriage, Hermione would see Severus show emotion on very few occasions, so few, that she could count them on one hand, but this was one of those times. She saw tears in his eyes as he refused to tear his eyes from their daughter.

"Do you want to hold her?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Severus' eyes flashed to hers, as the look of pure awe was nearly overwhelming. He pulled back slightly, and she knew he was afraid he wouldn't hold her correctly.

"Here," Hermione said, extending her arms to him.

Severus awkwardly reached forward and Hermione placed the baby into his arms. He immediately pulled the bundle to his chest. Hermione watched as he gazed intently at the two eyes gazing back at him. A moment later, he lowered himself into the chair, appearing to lose all strength in his legs. Hermione watched fondly for minutes on end, until the nurse came back to take the baby to the nursery.

Hermione eyes slipped closed for a moment, exhaustion consuming her. Severus pressed his forehead to hers with a sigh.

"Thank you," he whispered to her.

"For what?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Everything – for staying and for her...I couldn't ask for anything more,"

Hermione slid over, and patted the spot next to her, and he was immediately beside her, pulling her into his arms. She couldn't help but sigh as she was met with the familiar scent and warmth. Just as she was drifting, his voice cut through her thoughts.

"Have you settled on a name?" he asked.

He had given her complete control over what they would call her because he had no suggestions. Severus didn't even know how to go about naming a baby, and therefore let Hermione choose, reserving the right to decline anything too obnoxious.

"Olivia," she said in a murmur.

"Olivia," he repeated quietly just before she slipped asleep.

After a few days, Hermione was finally released from the hospital. People were in and out every day, coming to see Olivia and leaving things for Hermione. Severus barely left the hospital room, making sure to hold his daughter every moment that Hermione was not. She had inherited Severus nose, much to his dismay, but Hermione didn't see a problem.

"Severus, your nose is not that bad," Hermione protested as they left the hospital, Olivia cradled to her body.

"I know what you all used to say, I can hear all the way in the front of the classroom, you know,"

"I never said anything about your nose; I was too busy taking notes to talk,"

As they entered the house, Hermione sighed, standing in the entry way as Severus sent all of their belongings to their proper places. Without missing a beat, Hermione walked up the stairs and put Olivia down in her crib. The two had spent hours turning Hermione's old room into a nursery, and Hermione was anxious to spend hours in that room with her husband and daughter. For a long while, the two stood together, gazing at their sleeping daughter.

"Now what?" Severus asked.

"I want to sleep before she wakes up," Hermione said, pulling away and heading to their bedroom.

As she settled down beneath the covers still fully dressed, Severus quietly put their stuff away before joining her.

"Do you think she'll grow into her magic?" he asked quietly.

"Severus, she was just born a few days ago, and most children don't show signs of magic until they're at least five years old,"

"There are cases where two magical parents have a non-magical child," he stated.

"I should have never let you touch those books," Hermione sighed with a smile on her face.

Being in her new home, Olivia was a handful. Hermione felt as if she spent every waking moment in the nursery, constantly feeding and changing her. Once she fell asleep, Hermione would fall into the rocking chair and sleep, too tired to even make it to her bedroom. Severus had a few days off from teaching to stay with his family, but he was called back soon after. People stopped by the house every now and then, and Hermione was grateful for the company. When Remus and Tonks came over with Teddy, Hermione nearly begged them for advice on how to keep Olivia sleeping.

"I remember Teddy barely slept when we first brought him home, but once they get used to things, they'll settle down," Tonks said, rocking Olivia.

Sure enough, in less than two weeks, Olivia appeared to be comfortable in her room, much to Hermione's relief.

Severus spent nearly all of free time with Olivia. The moment he was home, he would kiss Hermione and then ask for Olivia. He had taken to being a father so well, Hermione was envious of him. Olivia always seemed at ease in his arms, and that baby had him wrapped so tightly around her small finger that Hermione knew he would do anything for her if it was in his ability to do so. She often complained that she was a bad mother, which Severus protested against immediately.

"You're doing fine, it's not something you learn overnight," he replied, holding their daughter softly in his arms.

"The more she cries, the more I think I wasn't meant to be a mother," Hermione sighed, rocking in the chair in the corner of the room.

"She's beautiful," Severus said, taking on the awe-struck look he had at the hospital.

"I know," Hermione said back smiling at him. "I never knew it was possible to love another human being as much as I love her,"

"Does everyone still come over during the day?" he asked, though he didn't look interested in the answer as his eyes rarely strayed from Olivia.

"Minerva came over today, during lunch,"

"She did?" he asked, looking away from Olivia.

"She said Olivia was probably the most beautiful baby she had ever seen and that you would have to practically beat the boys away from her as she got older,"

"I don't even want to think about that," he groaned, placing Olivia down in the crib and putting a blanket over her.

Hermione stood from the rocking chair, tossing the blanket aside before leaving the room with Severus. Having a baby had significantly changed Severus. Though he didn't think so, Hermione insisted that he was much kinder and more open to others. He often held lengthy conversations with Remus and Harry, even laughing on the rarest occasion. Ron was rarely around anymore. Hermione made a point of cornering Harry in the library at his house and asking him about it.

"Hermione, he still has feelings for you, and finding out you were pregnant just about crushed him,"

"I thought he was dating someone,"

"Who hasn't Ron dated? He goes through women faster than underwear since you and Severus went public,"

"But…he's still my friend," she replied.

"For him, he'll always want more than that,"

Hermione left Harry in the library, but remained in a quiet stupor for the rest of the night. She still wanted to be friends with Ron, and she wished more than anything that he could find someone to be happy with instead of jumping from woman to woman. And what could Hermione say to him? I'm sorry I am in a stable relationship with a baby and you're alone? It had hurt her when he hadn't come to the hospital; instead, he chose to bury himself in work. Hermione thought he would have at least come to the house, but he didn't do that either. He was never at Grimmauld Place anymore, yet everyone always commented on the fact that they had just seen Ron the other day or just the other morning. Hermione was sure that he was avoiding her, and it upset her a great deal.


	70. Another

**Hey everyone! Sorry about not posting yesterday, I completely forgot that it was Tuesday. Well, after this, only 3 more chapters!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**The remaining chapters will cover large expanses of time and move VERY quickly. Be prepared.**

* * *

><p>As Olivia grew, Hermione enjoyed being home all day more and more. She often spent most of the time reading to Olivia, though she seemed more interested in Hermione's hair than anything else.<p>

Time seemed to fly by after that. Around her first birthday, Olivia was walking on her own and managing to get into everything she shouldn't be in. She had learned to say 'daddy' and 'mommy' often, but the rest was baby jumble, which Hermione was learning to translate faster each day. Severus loved when Olivia called him 'dada'. Those two had a connection that surprised Hermione. For the first few months, Severus had been unsure of how to be a father, but took it in his stride with ease. As Olivia chatted away in nothing but sounds, Severus managed to catch enough from the sounds to know what she was saying. Hermione would often hear Severus in the nursery carrying on conversations with their daughter as she handed him stuffed animals and toys to play with.

It was on one of these nights, after Severus had tucked Olivia in that he surprised Hermione into silence. She was in her study, pulling a few books from the shelves near the fireplace, when he was suddenly behind her, his arms encasing her form.

"Can I help you?" she asked, fishing for more books.

He didn't answer, but pressed his lips to her cheek. Hermione felt there was something bothering him; there was something in his presence in that moment that made her heart quicken.

"I feel like you have something to say," she mentioned quietly, the smile gone from her voice.

"I…I think I'd like to have another baby,"

The books she had in her hand tumbled to the floor as she immediately turned to look into his face. His features were stern, and his eyes conveying how serious he was. Hermione waited for his expression to change, or for him to say it was a joke, but he continued to hold his serious expression. For a long moment, Hermione couldn't find the right words to say to him, and stared at him dumbstruck.

"You _want_ to have another baby?" she asked finally.

"Yes,"

"Didn't you say you never wanted children? Olivia wasn't exactly planned,"

"She changed my opinion on having children," he said with a shrug.

Hermione didn't feel like they had been parents long enough to judge whether or not they wanted more children. Regardless, she _did_ want more children with him. Starting a family was one of the best things that they had done and Hermione felt closer to Severus than she ever had before. Hermione would have never opened her mouth, but she wanted _many_ more children with him. As her thoughts whirled away, Severus stepped away from her, thinking she was against the idea.

"It's up to you," he said, turning his eyes away.

"I do," she blurted out. "But are you sure? I do want to have another baby, but this is a big decision, I mean, this is life changing, and there's no going back,"

"I'm sure,"

A few months later, Hermione was pregnant with their second child. Because this baby was planned, Hermione happily shared the news with Severus, and immediately spread the word to their friends. They told Olivia, now two years old, that she was going to be a big sister, and she was more excited over the idea of having a playmate than anything else.

Even being seven months pregnant, Hermione still made it to all of the gatherings at Grimmauld Place. At least once a week the three Snapes would have dinner with nearly all of the Weasleys (minus Ron) and the Potters. Everyone loved Olivia when she came, and she was particularly fond of George who usually packed extra things from his shop to amuse her with.

As Hermione sat at the table, her stomach preventing her from sliding her chair closer, people swarmed around her, feeling the baby kick. Severus sat beside her, no longer in the shadows, proud of his daughter, his wife, and their unborn baby. He now didn't mind sitting at the table and talking to people and even laughing at things people said. Hermione was so proud of him and how easy-going he had become since Olivia was born. Severus held Olivia on his lap throughout most of their visit to Grimmauld Place, playing with her freely and not caring that an entire roomful of people were bearing witness to the softer side of him.

As everyone sat around talking, the front door opened, causing everyone to look up. Hermione was sure they were all accounted for – that was until she saw Ron step into the room with a blonde woman on his arm.

"Ron!" she said before she could stop herself. "Help me up," she said to Severus as she started to stand and people rushed over to Ron.

Severus placed Olivia on the floor and helped Hermione to her feet. She happily went over to the two, anxious to meet them.

"Gwen, this is Hermione," Ron said, avoiding her gaze.

"Hermione? Hermione Granger?" she asked with wide eyes as the two shook hands.

"Oh, I'm not Granger anymore, it's Snape now," Hermione said happily, releasing the woman's hand.

"This is my daughter, Olivia," Hermione said turning and holding her hand out, with the girl took willingly. "And my husband, Severus,"

Severus stepped forward to shake hands with the woman, muttering a soft hello. By the look on her face, Hermione knew that she was one of his past students.

"Professor Snape," she said quietly.

"Please, call me Severus," he said, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist.

"Did you find out what you're having?" Gwen asked.

"Another girl," Hermione answered with a smile, placing both of her hands on her stomach.

Once they were all settled down again, Gwen continued to ask questions to Hermione, which she was more than happy to answer. Hermione found it easy to talk to Gwen, and she seemed extremely interested in trying to get to know Ron's friends, which Hermione liked. By the end of the night, she was a part of the group. As much as Hermione would have liked to stay longer, Olivia needed to go to sleep, and Hermione was exhausted.

"Ready to go?" she asked, turning to Severus.

"I'm ready if you are," he said.

Severus helped Hermione to her feet and went to retrieve Olivia from George's lap. Hermione said goodbye to everyone as Olivia wrapped her arms around Severus' neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. A few minutes later, the three walked into their house. Severus immediately put Olivia to bed, and Hermione was under the covers by the time he came into the room. When the light was off, Hermione felt Severus turn to her.

"So?"

"So what?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing to say about Weasley?"

"I really like Gwen; she's sweet,"

"He's still in love with you,"

"Severus," she sighed, rolling her eyes in the darkness.

"It doesn't bother me, I'm just telling you that he still has that look on his face like someone just ran over his dog,"

"Are you jealous?" she teased him in the dark.

"No," he replied easily. "I have you, Olivia, and another baby on the way. I don't have a reason to be jealous,"

"You used to be jealous," she mentioned, curling up into his side. "Harry told me about when Ron confronted you,"

Severus sighed deeply, pulling the covers over the two.

"He brought it on himself," he grumbled.

Hermione smiled and gently kissed his cheek before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

It was two months later, during the early hours of the morning that Hermione awoke with a gasp and a sharp pain. The bed beside her was empty, and Hermione quickly made it to her feet, getting dressed and heading immediately to the stairs. Bracing one hand on the wall, Hermione made her way down the stairs and to Severus' study, where she could see a light coming from under the door. Hermione paused for a moment as another contraction hit her. The moment her breathing was back to normal, she proceeded on. Pushing the door open, Hermione stood in the doorway, bracing her back with one hand while resting her other on top of her stomach. Severus raised his eyes from the book in front of him, his glasses resting on the edge of his nose.

"Are you busy?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady while attempting to be casual.

"No, I just couldn't sleep," he sighed, sitting up.

"Severus, I think it's time," Hermione said.

In a flash, his glasses were torn from his face and he was beside her in a flourish of robes.

"Go wait by the fireplace; I'll be right back,"

Before Hermione could reply, Severus was darting up the stairs. Hermione had just made it to the fireplace, holding onto it for support as another contraction hit her, when she heard Severus coming down the stairs. He walked into the room, holding Olivia and carrying a bag. The small girl was already asleep on her father's shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked, peering into her face with slight worry.

"Yeah," she replied breathlessly.

Severus helped Hermione into the fireplace, and she immediately arrived at St. Mungo's with Severus arriving a few moments later.

"Drop Liv off with Remus and Tonks, I don't want her sitting around the hospital all night," Hermione instantly said.

"But-"

"I'll be fine, I promise. They still have to get me a room and I have to get changed,"

Hermione took the bag from him, and he quickly stepped back into the fireplace, disappearing. The nurses were around her a moment later, ushering her to a room and handing her a gown. She quickly changed and maneuvered herself into the bed, wincing at the pain. Thankfully, Severus appeared a moment later, his features drawn.

"Was Remus okay with taking Olivia?" Hermione asked once he was seated.

"I don't know, I didn't stay long enough to ask," he muttered, his eyes scrutinizing every inch of the room.

A few hours later, their second daughter, Charlotte, was born. With confident hands Severus held their daughter, a smile playing on his lips. Hermione gently slipped to sleep, feeling the exhaustion finally taking her over.


	71. Threat

**Hey guys! Can you believe there are only TWO more chapters left? **

**Anyway, I thought we should shake things up in this chapter. No one's marriage is perfect :)**

* * *

><p>"She gets this from you," Severus said one day, standing in their bedroom, trying to calm a screaming Charlotte down.<p>

"Me? She doesn't get this from me," Hermione protested, rearranging the crib that they had put into their bedroom before taking Charlotte from Severus' hands.

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing the girl gently, and speaking to her softly. Eventually, she fell quiet, and then closed her eyes. Slowly, Hermione stood, walking to the crib and lowering Charlotte down onto the blanket. When she was settled, Hermione instantly headed to the bed and flopped down on her stomach with a sigh.

"Severus, what are we doing wrong?" she groaned into the comforter.

"Maybe she just needs some time to adjust,"

"Liv wasn't like this," Hermione said, turning her face towards him. "She was a little out of hand when we first brought her home, but she settled down,"

"All of our children won't be like Olivia," he said, flipping a page.

"All of our children?" Hermione asked raising her eyebrows. "You say that like you expect more in the future,"

"I wouldn't mind," he mentioned casually, still keeping his eyes on his book.

Hermione lifted herself up to a sitting position, staring into his face. From the man who stated he had never planned to have children, he was surprisingly okay with the idea of more. Hermione climbed under the covers, turning on her side.

"You know, you shouldn't talk about having kids so casually,"

"Who said I was talking casually?" Severus replied, pulling her against his chest and pressing his lips against her neck.

"You don't seem to put much thought into it when the topic comes up,"

"I don't need to think about it, I know what I want,"

Hermione didn't reply as Severus shut the light off and resumed his position, pressed against her back.

"And what about you?" he murmured against her skin.

"What about me?"

"Do you want to have more children?"

"Yes, I do," she answered honestly.

"Any preference on a number?" he pushed.

"A number of children?" Hermione laughed, turning over to face him. "Why, do you have a number in mind?"

"Maybe two or three more," Severus replied hovering above her.

"I think that's reasonable," Hermione replied, running her fingers through his hair.

Things for the family slowed down for a few years. Olivia was five years old, and Charlotte had just turned three. Severus and Hermione were trying for another child, but so far, nothing had happened. It was during the summer, when they were all stuck indoors because of the light drizzle that hung over the town, that the peace was disrupted. While playing with the girls in the living room one night, Hermione heard a few knocks on the front door.

"I've got it!" Hermione called to Severus, who was working in his study.

Hermione tried to smooth out her hair that was pinned in place with just her wand. The girls had a habit of getting their hands on it if Hermione didn't watch them carefully, and not only did having her wand in her hair prevent visits to the hospital, but it kept Hermione cool.

Quickly making her way forward, Hermione swung open the door, anxious to see which of their friends had decided to pay them a surprise visit. She was shocked to find the pale face of Draco Malfoy starring back at her. Immediately she tore her wand from her hair, freeing her curls, while pointing the wand directing at Malfoy's face. The two simply stood staring at one another, until he began to remove his hand from his robes.

"Don't you think about it," Hermione snapped, afraid that he was going to attack her.

"Mommy?"

Hermione's heart jumped into her throat as she heard her daughter in the hallway behind her. She was the only thing standing between Draco and Olivia.

"Liv, can you do Mommy a favor? Take your sister and go to Daddy's study and tell him I need him,"

Hermione thankfully heard Olivia return to the living room to retrieve her sister so they could make their way to Severus' study. Olivia politely knocked.

"Daddy?" she asked.

Hermione heard Severus push his chair away from his desk and make his way to the door. She didn't dare take her eyes from the unwanted guest whose eyes were darting between Hermione's face, and her two children in the hallway. Hermione listened to the door open.

"And how may I help you young ladies?" Severus asked with an obvious smile in his voice.

"Mommy told us to come, and she said she needs you,"

"Oh?"

"She's at the door," Olivia replied.

The house fell silent for a moment.

"Take your sister in there," Severus spoke in a calm tone, but Hermione could hear the tense undertone. "Don't come out until your mother or I come and get you,"

The door was shut, and his boots struck the hardwood with resounding thuds as he rushed forward. A moment later he had placed his body in front of her, his wand drawn.

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked.

"I don't have anywhere else to go," Malfoy replied.

"I don't trust you around my family," Severus stated.

Hermione waited for the door to slam in his face, but the slam never came.

"Here," Malfoy said.

There was a rustle of robes and a long pause.

"Come in," Severus quietly replied, the hostility gone from his voice.

"What?" Hermione said stepping back as Severus opened the door wider.

She saw that Severus held Draco Malfoy's wand in his hand. He had disarmed himself to show that he wasn't a threat, but Hermione wouldn't buy that for a moment, not when her two daughters were currently shut in their father's study.

"He's my godson," was the explanation to her question.

Hermione spun on her heel, immediately heading to the study. She didn't care what Malfoy had to say, she had dealt with him enough to know that she didn't want her family anywhere near him, and whatever he had to say, she did not want to hear a word of it. Hermione entered the study, scooping the two girls up.

"Come on, time for bed," she said quietly.

The two, who usually protested their bedtimes, were quiet, as if they could sense the tension in the air. Hermione walked out into the hallway, looking back just as Draco entered the sitting room. Severus looked at her, but Hermione turned away and headed up the stairs. She wanted the girls with her that night, so when they were ready for bed, Hermione settled them down in the master bedroom. When Severus finally made it upstairs, Hermione was seated in a chair, watching their children sleep, thinking about what she could do.

"You're still up?" he questioned upon entering into the room.

"What did he want?" she fired back, ignoring him.

"Things with the Malfoys haven't been going so well,"

"Severus, what did he want?"

He sighed, his back to her.

"He needs a place to stay until he gets back on his feet,"

It was then that Hermione recalled that she hadn't heard the front door before Severus came up.

"You didn't," she choked out past the lump in her throat.

"What could I do?" he hissed, turning on her, his eyes burning.

"Severus, you let him into our house?" Hermione snapped back, standing from the chair in outrage, but trying to keep her voice low.

"He'll only be on the couch,"

"Our children are in this house! How could you give him a place to stay?"

"He disowned his family, and he's no longer a part of the Death Eaters. There is no threat,"

"Have you forgotten what he did to me? For heaven's sake, he used to hunt me in the halls of the school! God, I put his father in jail, Severus, do you think he forgot that?"

"He said-"

"To hell with what he said! I don't care if he told you how much he hates his family; Lucius is still his father and will always be his father,"

Severus turned away from her, yanking a drawer out of the dresser in order to get ready for bed. Hermione didn't know what else to say to him, but of one thing, she was certain of.

"We can't stay here," she stated calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Severus said exasperated.

"I am not going to let our daughters sleep under the same roof as him. I don't care what he told you, what you think, or how many wards you put up, I'm not putting our children in danger. I would feel better if they weren't here,"

Without waiting for a reply, Hermione walked to the bed and woke Olivia and Charlotte up softly.

"How would you guys like to have a sleep over with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny?" Hermione asked when their eyes were focused on her.

The two adored Ginny, so they needed little incentive to get out of bed. Ginny was the 'fun' aunt, and let them get away with things Hermione would never allow. As the two scampered to their room, Hermione made sure to cast a charm at the top of the stairs to alert her if someone came up. Quickly she stuffed a few things into her beaded bag before a vice grip locked on her arm.

"You are not going," Severus said quietly, but coldly.

"Severus, I'm not going to run the risk of those two getting hurt. I don't care if he attacks me, but if anything happened to those two…"

She went to pull her arm away, but he didn't release her, instead, he dug his fingers painfully into her skin. Hermione looked up into his face.

"Let go of me," she stated, shocked that he wouldn't release her.

The two had a glaring contest before his tight grip loosened slightly, enough for her to yank her arm free. Hermione grabbed a few more things before leaving the room without saying goodbye. When she entered her daughters' room, she found them rushing around with clothes everywhere.

"Are you two ready?" Hermione asked, helping Charlotte pull a sweater on.

Hermione was grateful that Olivia helped Charlotte pack, for the most part. Neither girl knew how to pack, but they were so excited to see Ginny that they didn't wait for their mother's help. She still had to make sure the two had the essentials, and was sure to pack things for a few days, not knowing how long they'd be gone. Hermione picked up Charlotte and took Olivia's hand as they left the room.

"Is Daddy coming?" Olivia asked.

"No, sweetheart, he's not," Hermione said into the darkness, afraid to look behind her, feeling a set of eyes burning into her back.

They were silent as they walked down the stairs and out of the front door. A moment later they were on the steps of Grimmauld Place, waiting for someone to answer the door. Harry appeared a moment, still fixing his glasses.

"Hey," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you think we could stay a night or two?" Hermione said with a note of desperation.

"Of course, come in," he said ushering them inside just as Ginny came down the stairs.

Ginny lead the girls upstairs and made them settle down, promising that if they went to sleep, she would take them to Diagon Alley the next morning and they could pay a visit to George. Once Harry and Ginny were seated at the table, Hermione told them what had happened.

"Malfoy is living in your house?" Harry reiterated in disbelief.

"As of right now, yes," Hermione replied, bringing her now cold cup of tea to her lips. "You don't think I'm over reacting, do you?"

Ginny immediately shook her head.

"Even if Malfoy did change, you can't risk having the girls there. Severus at least can handle himself, if he needs to,"

"I know," Hermione sighed.

She turned in soon after that, but couldn't sleep. There was a part of her that couldn't sleep because Severus wasn't beside her, but a more prominent part of her was worried about him. He was in the house alone, and it had been a few years since he had to sleep with one eye open all the time. She just wished his reflexes were still in shape. Hermione tossed and turned, and checked on the girls more times than she could count. Eventually, she sat on the edge of her bed, watching the sun rise in her window. When Hermione heard the girls moving around in the next room, Hermione made her way to the kitchen. She opted to stay behind that day and let Harry and Ginny take the girls to Diagon Alley. Instead, she sat in the library, falling asleep almost instantly, and did not awake until the four had come home. She listened with smiles as the girls told them everything they had done and all the things that George had given them.

After dinner, the girls fell asleep on the couch with Ginny, and Harry helped carry them to bed.

"How are you doing?" he asked when the door had closed over.

"Fine," Hermione replied.

"Have you talked to Severus?"

"No," she said, her eyes straying to the ring on her finger.


	72. Breaking the Rules

**Just a little short and sweet chapter before the Epilogue goes up! I can't believe it's almost over!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Hermione was thankful that the girls were too preoccupied with Ginny to notice what was going on around them. Again she was in bed that night, sleepless and worried about Severus. Maybe she should go and check on him, just to see how he was getting along? A sudden pop in the room and burst of wind ended her thoughts as she instantly bolted up in bed. She immediately knew from the silhouette who was in her room.<p>

"Severus?" she said softly.

As the figure moved towards her, Hermione threw the covers from her body and climbed from the bed.

"I-"

Her sentence was cut off as his lips were suddenly on hers, his hands dragging across her body. A moment later Hermione found herself sinking into the bed with his body pressing down on her. He didn't speak, and neither did she, but she knew that he had one goal for that night, and she was not going to deny him.

Nearly twenty minutes passed in silence, each trying to catch their breath. Hermione's mind slowly cleared as she found her head resting on his bare shoulder. She was waiting for him to say something. Closing her eyes, she waited, though she didn't have to wait very long.

"Where are the girls?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"In the next room," she responded, praying silently that they hadn't awoken them.

"They're doing okay?"

"Yes,"

He sighed deeply, frustrated with her short answers, but Hermione didn't want to talk about their children. That wasn't the problem.

"And you?" he pushed.

Hermione was quiet for a long moment. Yes, she supposed she was okay, but having her family separated was upsetting, and she hoped that once this business with Malfoy was settled, they'd never have to be apart again.

"I'm fine," she said, hearing her voice jump an octave.

"Hermione,"

"What?" she snapped, rolling away from him and tugging the sheet over her body.

"You didn't have to leave,"

"How could you expect me to live under the same roof as him? Especially with our children there. I'd rather die than have anything happen to them,"

"And do you think that I wouldn't do the same?" he snapped.

"I know you would, Severus, that's not what I'm trying to say,"

"I understand why you're wary to trust Draco, but he isn't the same person he was during the war,"

"When I was talking to Lucius, after the raid, he said that Draco was going to carry out his plans, even if he wasn't in the picture anymore, and his main goal was to destroy everything you had because you betrayed them,"

"You said yourself that Draco didn't have it in him to do Lucius' biding,"

"Severus, I don't know if he does or not. I mean, for a while I did believe that, but I was never sure. I can't stop thinking about the look he had in his eyes when he attacked me in the hallway outside the library, and that's what I don't trust. He's capable of things, Severus, and I'm not willing to take that chance, not when our children are involved,"

The room fell silent for a long moment as Hermione shivered in the cold, wanting to be in Severus' arms. She did understand why Severus wanted to help him, she really did, but their safety was potentially in jeopardy.

"I'll give him money, enough so he can get his own place and have time to find a job. He can write if he needs something, but you're right. He can't be around the girls. I don't want him near you for that matter. I remember how bruised your neck was that night, and if you're not comfortable with him, that's enough for me,"

Hermione had no qualms about giving Malfoy money; after Severus sold his potion to hospitals, they had such a large income that both could stop working for the rest of their lives if they so wished. Severus set aside two large sums for the two girls for when they were out of school or in the case something happened to him or Hermione. The rest of the money was in a vault in Gringotts, where each week they took money out, just enough to get by on. Neither were interested in living a luxurious life, they were more than happy with how things were, and both wanted to continue working.

"Give him however much he wants, enough so that he won't need to come back,"

"I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow,"

Hermione turned towards him.

"I don't want you to think I don't want you to see him ever again. I understand he's your godson, and if you want to see him, that's fine,"

"Draco isn't the best conversationalist in the world,"

"I'm just saying, if you ever want to meet up with him somewhere, I don't have a problem with it, as long as it isn't our house,"

"Understandable," Severus stated.

Hermione slid back against Severus' side with a sigh.

"Thank you," she stated quietly.

"I'm sorry for putting you in that position, it wasn't fair to you or the girls, and I didn't mean to lose my temper. I hope I didn't hurt your arm when I grabbed you, it was uncalled for,"

"It's not a big deal, don't worry about it," Hermione said, pressing her lips to his jawline.

"I didn't hurt you?" he pushed, running his fingers over her arm.

"Severus, I'm fine," she insisted.

The two fell quiet after that, wrapped up in one another. Hermione couldn't help the smile that was on her face. Everything was going to be okay. Just as Severus' breathing began to slow, Hermione climbed from the bed, jolting him awake.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Hermione began pulling her clothing back on.

"Getting dressed,"

"Why?"

"So when our children come into this room tomorrow morning to wake us up, they don't find both of their parents indecent. I don't feel like trying to explain that tomorrow morning,"

As Hermione finished dressing, she looked at Severus, still in bed, watching her.

"Well? At least put pants on," she sighed, climbing back under the covers.

Severus grumbled as he tossed the sheets from his body, looking for wherever his trousers landed. Hermione's eyes traced his body in the moonlight as he pulled up his pants and began to button them. His eyes suddenly caught hers and he lifted his eyebrow at her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Nothing," Hermione replied with a grin, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Severus joined her a moment later and Hermione didn't waste a moment before she was wrapping her arms around his bare torso.

"I missed you," she sighed, feeling tired.

"I missed you too," was his response before Hermione drifted to sleep.

Sure enough, the next morning, the two were awoken by two screeching girls who were ecstatic that their father had materialized in the middle of the night. For an hour Severus listened to his daughters chatter away about all of the things that he had missed. Olivia showed him all of the things that George had given her, and Severus sighed.

"I hope he isn't trying to pass on his…special abilities," Severus mentioned to Hermione as Olivia had a pile of things on their bed from the joke shop.

"I think it's too late for that, she absolutely adores him. I can't wait to see when she's in school. Mr. Filch thinks he's done dealing with the Weasley's. Wait until he finds out George has been training the next generation of trouble makers," Hermione said with a smile.

"I don't want any of my children to take after a Weasley," Severus stated. "I'd much rather they take after you,"

"Me?" Hermione scoffed. "If you knew half the things I did when I was in school,"

"Most of what you did was public knowledge, like the expedition for the Sorcerer's Stone,"

"I'm talking about behind the scenes,"

Severus looked down at her with raised eyebrows, like he couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"Being friends with Harry was bound to rub off. That and fighting Voldemort constitutes sacrifices and rule-breaking…a lot of rule-breaking. So, you should say that you want your children to take after you, because I certainly do. If they do take after me, I hope they learn how to be sly about it,"

"You're hoping our children learn how to get away with not following the rules?"

"I prefer they follow the rules, but if they don't, I hope they do learn how to get away with it. The three of us did when we were in school, for the most part,"

"Good lord, they'll never be out of detention," Severus muttered.

"They have us as parents; I think they're smart enough to keep out of trouble,"

"Or smart enough to get away with it," Severus grumbled.

"Exactly," Hermione replied smiling at him.

Malfoy was given the money, and left a few days later to move into a place located above a shop in Diagon Alley. He very rarely wrote to Severus, but never did ask for money again, seeing as he managed to find a job. Hermione took the girls back home the day after Malfoy left, allowing Severus ample amount of time to search the house for anything that Malfoy may have intentionally left behind.


	73. Epilogue

**So, everyone, this is it. We made it. 73 chapters, can you believe it? I put so much time and effort into this, and I thank all of you for your support and words. You are all wonderful! And thank you for sticking with this. July 19, 2011 was when I started posting this story that was originally just supposed to be a writing exercise. This is the first time I've actually ever finished a story, so this a VERY big deal for me :)**

**I've grown to love these characters so much, and I'm sad to let them go, but I'm happy with how everything turned out. More than happy.**

**I couldn't have done it without you lovely reviewers, and I thank you a thousand times over, and a thousand times again.**

**So, leave your parting thoughts in a review. Thank, thank you, and thank you again. **

* * *

><p>When Olivia was six, she showed her first sign of magic. Hermione couldn't contain her excitement upon finding that her daughter had accidentally changed the color of her doll's hair. When Severus came home from work, Hermione dashed into the hallway.<p>

"Severus, you're not going to believe what happened today,"

"Are you pregnant?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"No, but Olivia changed the color of her doll's hair today,"

He looked at her like she had suddenly lost her mind.

"That's great," he said, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

"Unintentionally,"

"Unintention…magic?" he asked, his eyes widening in understanding.

Hermione nodded, unable to contain her grin. In a flash Severus scooped her up and spun her around.

"I can't believe it," he said breathlessly, taking Hermione's face in his hands and crushing his lips against hers. "Where is she?" he asked anxiously.

"In her room,"

Severus immediately rushed to the stairs and climbed them two at a time. Hermione sent letters to all of their friends informing them of the news before Severus came back into the kitchen. He fell into a chair, exhaling loudly.

"That is such a relief," he said.

"I remember you worrying about whether she was going to be magical a few days after she was born," Hermione said with a smile.

"It wouldn't matter to me one way or another if she was magical or not, it's just that our world has so much to offer, and I didn't want her to miss out on it. I'm glad she gets to experience it as we did,"

Hermione joined him at the table, memories of her own childhood more vivid than they had been in almost ten years. Severus sensed her sudden mood change.

"What?" he asked.

"Is this how it's supposed to be when you find out children have magical abilities? How did your parents react when you first showed signs of magic?"

"My dad wanted nothing to do with it, but my mother, she was very proud," he said with a soft smile.

It was another moment before Severus silently followed her thought process. He took her hand in his.

"Hermione-"

"It's fine," she said giving him a forced smile. "I didn't know that it could be this happy. It's probably better seeing as we're both magical, we know how wonderful getting your abilities can be. With my parents…they didn't understand. They were more frightened than anything. I can't blame them, but I didn't get this kind of support, obviously not, my parents had no idea what was wrong with me,"

"Yes, it's easier to accept in a family that already has magic in it. You were the first in yours; it was bound to be hard,"

"I'm just happy that our children have the support we didn't, and no matter if some have magic and some don't, we're not going to treat them any different,"

"No, we're not," Severus said quietly, running his thumb across her knuckles.

The two made their way to bed shortly after. It was on the stairs, in the dark, that Severus stopped her. Hermione turned to him, unsure of what was wrong.

"You were, and still are the brightest witch of your age," he stated.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, softly pressing her lips to his.

"How did I get so lucky?" she sighed, resting her forehead against his.

"You? I ask myself the same question every morning. Never in a million years would I have imagined my life like this. I guess I should thank you for being so damn stubborn all those years ago and being a nuisance,"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"You're more than welcome,"

Olivia was eight and Charlotte six when two new additions to the Snape family arrived. Hermione gave birth to two twin boys, Benjamin and Alex. Though he would never admit it, Hermione was sure Severus was happy to have more testosterone in the house.

When Olivia turned eleven, she received her letter from Hogwarts. She screeched so loud Hermione thought someone had broken in. All day Olivia carried that letter around with her, anxious to show her father, who beamed with pride when he came home from running errands.

On the day that Olivia was to leave, the house was pure chaos. Things had been left until the last minute, and Hermione was sure that they were forgetting things.

"Do you have your books?"

"Yeah,"

"And parchment? Did you find those quills we bought a few weeks ago?"

"I told you I found them last week,"

"Did you pack pajamas?"

"Mom, I have everything, I already looked,"

"Did you pack your toothbrush?"

The silence that Hermione was met with gave her the answer. Olivia darted from the room and to the bathroom for her toothbrush.

"Are you two ready yet?" Severus called up the stairs. "Everyone is ready to go,"

"Almost!" Hermione called back.

Once the toothbrush was packed, the suitcase was sent down the stairs and smoothly into Severus' hands. The two followed soon after.

"Alex, stop hitting your brother," Severus said, holding Charlie, their five month old son.

"Here," Hermione said, lifting the baby from his arms so he could better handle the bags.

They Apparated to King's Cross. The children enjoyed Apparating, though Hermione couldn't understand, the feeling usually left her a little nauseous. Even Charlie seemed to like it. When they arrived, Hermione gave Olivia her ticket as Severus grabbed a trolley for the luggage.

"Don't lose that," Hermione warned.

"I won't," Olivia said rolling her eyes.

They all bustled into the train station, heading for platform nine and three quarters. Severus took Olivia and Charlotte through first, and Hermione followed, carrying Charlie, and holding Benjamin's hand.

"Alex, don't let go of Benjamin," Hermione said as they quickly walked onto the platform.

The moment they were through, the two four year olds ran through the crowd, spotting Teddy Lupin in the distance, saying goodbye to his parents.

"I guess it's just you and me," Hermione said to Charlie who made a gurgling sound.

Hermione set out to find her husband talking with the Potters. Ginny was pregnant, and she was finally starting to show. They were here to support Olivia, and Hermione couldn't be happier that they were there. All of them were like on giant extended family. Hermione greeted them, and Ginny immediately took Charlie from Hermione's arms.

"Hey, buddy, how are you?" she cooed softly.

"Ron sends his love," Harry said.

"He's not back yet?" Hermione asked.

"No, they extended their honeymoon an extra week,"

"I'm happy for them," Hermione said.

Ron had married Gwen the previous month, and everyone was more than happy that he had finally pulled it back together. He had even apologized about everything he had done to Hermione and Severus, but she told him it was in the past, and not to worry about it.

George arrived, hair sticking up everywhere.

"I didn't miss her, did I?" he asked.

"Uncle George!" Olivia shouted, running forward to hug him.

Hermione watched as George smuggled her a brown paper bag, the two sharing smirks. The Lupins joined them soon after, Teddy leading the way. Tonks had another baby, a girl, who had just turned five.

"Ready?" Teddy asked Olivia.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile.

She turned and hugged her father, tears forming in her eyes. Hermione's eyes began to water as she watched the two embrace. When Olivia turned to her mother, the two laughed at one another crying, hugging tightly.

"Write to me the second you're settled, okay?"

"Mom, dad's going to be there, it's not like I'm going by myself,"

"I know, I just want to know how you're getting on, and who you're living with,"

"I'll write after dinner,"

"Okay, and make sure you get to sleep early tonight,"

"Mom," the girl moaned as the train whistle blew.

Olivia pulled away quickly; giving hugs to everyone in a flash before Teddy stepped aside, helping Olivia onto the train.

"That boy better watch himself," Severus said, glaring at Teddy. "He's too old,"

Through her tears, Hermione looked at him, raising her eyebrows at him.

"What?" he said before rolling his eyes. "I know, like I'm one to talk,"

Children scrambled for the train, and Hermione walked along until she found where Olivia had sat with Teddy. The two waved to one another, as the train began pulling out of the station. Hermione walked along with the train until she reached the edge of the platform, the steam engine picking up speed until it disappeared from the tunnel. The tears flowed freely from her eyes, and she didn't know if she was happy that her daughter was starting school or sad that she wouldn't be in the house anymore. An arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and Hermione leaded against her husband, brushing away the moisture on her face.

"She's going to be fine," he whispered, pressing his lips to her hair.

"Keep an eye on her, will you? Don't let her know though,"

"You know I will,"

Hermione wrapped her arms around Severus, perfectly content with her lot in life.

* * *

><p>As Severus stood on the platform nine and three quarters, watching his daughter disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but look over the years that had passed since the war. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined his life turning out as wonderful as this. He had a beautiful, intelligent, and strong wife, determined to remain with him until their last days on this Earth, and beyond. She gave him five beautiful children, each unique in their own way, but each perfect in his eyes. He had a marvelous group of friends that loved his children like they were their own. It wasn't until this moment - standing on the platform, that Severus thanked whatever made him choose life over death as he was slipping away in the damp Boathouse on that horrific night. He was truly blessed.<p>

Hermione turned in his arms, standing on her toes in order to press her lips to his. Severus pulled her tight against his body, trying to communicate feelings he couldn't possibly begin to articulate. Severus anxiously looked forward to the rest of his life, hopeful that the future would be as kind to him as the past few years had been because he was more than ready to spend forever with Hermione, raising their five children and cherishing everyday he was given with his family and friends.


End file.
